Search for A Criminal Mind: LA
by mayejrmorris
Summary: The BAU team heads to Los Angeles when a string of bombings threatens to take the city captive. And test one team member's mentality. The team races against time to save the city and the lives of the people that make it home.
1. Chapter1: The start

Annabelle Riley stood outside the large building with ran pouring down. She was waiting for a sign to tell her to go into the building or leave. She wasn't sure and it kept on going back and forth between leaving and going. Her coat was almost soaked through and in another ten minutes it would be.

She walked back to a bench that gave her a perfect view of the front doors. She watched and waited for the man she needed to speak with to come out. But with her luck he could be out of town. His job took him all over the place even across the borders of the US of A to Mexico and Canada.

The rain continued to fall but not as hard as before. The sun was even able to break threw the gray cloud cover, giving some natural light to the dreary looking building.

Annabelle flinched when she saw one of the doors move, but calmed her self when no one had come out. A few minutes later a tall black man had walked out with a skinny white guy in a sweater vest and another in a dark gray suit. None of the three men looked happy but with the job they did every day she could understand the grim look they had.

She took a deep breath and walked over to the three men. She gripped and twisted the strap to her bag while she walked over. When the rain stopped she wiped her face of the rain drops that had fallen on it.

"Ca… Can I speak to you?" she asked the black man.

"I don't have the time right now. You could come back tomorrow and I can talk with you then. Just ask for Derek Morgan." The man said holding out a crisp white card.

"I'll see you then." Annabelle mumbled out to the man. She shivered and walked away.

The three men watched as she walked away. The two standing behind Derek watching with raised eyebrows.

"She is a bit young for you?" The oldest of the three said.

"What was that about?" asked the smallest of the three men.

"No she's not one of my dates. And I don't know what she wants. So I got to talk to her tomorrow because I don't have the time to have to do it now." He told them.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know Spencer but I got the feeling something bad has happened to her." Derek replied.

"Why do you say that?"

"She was nervous and didn't look me in the eye. She gripped and twisted her bag worse that you do when you don't know where Jane or Olivia is and like Hotch is over Jack." Derek told them.

"Yeah and you'll be that way too when ever you find a family."

"I already know that. My Mom would be worse than me about. Keep's begging me for grand kids."

"All mothers do that."Hotch replied.

"How do you know?" Spencer asked.

"Haley's mom hounded her from the day we got married to the day we told her we were having Jack." Hotch replied in a sad tone.

"Sorry man."

"It's okay it's been two years…"

"But no matter how much time passes it won't get easier." Spencer told them.


	2. Chapter2: Fear and Logic

**Hello my loyal readers/reviewers. I am so sorry it took so long to get this out. I had planned to get this out last week but my great grandma passed and the earth quake and tsunami in Japan had me worrying about a friend of mine that lives over there (she is okay). Hope you like the chapter and sorry of the lateness.**

~!~

Fear is the enemy of logic.

FRANK SINATRA, quoted in _The Way You Wear Your Hat_

Annabelle left her hotel room and nine in the morning and took the fifteen minute bus ride to The FBI headquarters. She gripped the can of pepper spray her dad and given her before he passed tightly in her hand just incase someone tried doing something to her. She had heard horror stories about things that have happened to people on the streets of DC.

The bus was cold with the chill of rain falling out side. She pulled her hoodie tighter. She had to get to see Derek today. She didn't get to talk to him except for a few seconds the day before.

When the bussed stopped near the building she got off and walked the rest of the way. The rain had slowed to a sprinkle. She walked threw the doors she had watched the day before. After walking through the door she walked up to the reception desk.

"Excuse me I was wondering if a Derek Morgan was in?" she asked the woman sitting at the desk.

"At what my I ask do you need to see him for?"

"He told me yesterday that I should come and speak with him today because he didn't have the time to do it yesterday." Annabelle replied.

"Hold on one moment while I check to see if he's here. You can sit in the chair over there." The woman replied in a broad tone.

Annabelle did what the lady said and sat in the chair. She watched as the woman dialed a number on the phone and watched as she spoke into the receiver. The woman hung up and said nothing to Annabelle so she just sat in the chair waiting for the woman to say something to her.

She must have fallen asleep at some point because she was shaken awake by a man in a suit. She had recognized him from the day before as one of the men with Derek.

"Ma'am you can't sleep here." He said.

"Sorry but I was waiting for someone. The lady at the reception desk said that I had to wait her while she made some calls." Annabelle replied.

"Who are you waiting for?" the man asked her.

"A Derek Morgan, He gave me this card." Annabelle said handing over the card Derek gave her the night before.

"What do you need to speak with him about?"

"A bombing. My roommate from college is his sister I think. She told me I should have him take a look at it."

"What bombing?"

"Well they couldn't tell if it was a bombing but I know it was. They wanted to hurt my dad and they made it look like an explosion."

"Where did the bombing or explosion take place?"

"Somewhere in Los Angeles. My dad recently moved and he wasn't able to tell me what his new address was and I wasn't told where they found his body just where he passed and that was at a hospital and I don't even remember the name of it."

"Come on I'll take you to see Derek. I've got to talk to our media liaison. Don't forget your bag."

Annabelle snatched up her bag and followed the man to the bank of elevators across the room. He pushed the button to go up. It took a few minutes before the elevator car came down and the doors opened. They stepped aside so the people on the elevator could get of and got on after it was completely clear.

Annabelle kept quiet and gripped her bag and stood as far as she could into the corner. She didn't pay attention to what floor they went to and leaned her head against the back wall of the elevator.

She stood up straight when she heard the sound of the doors opening. She followed the man out of the elevator, he led her through a few desk clustered together before he finally stopped at one that the man she recognized as Derek sitting at.

"Morgan." The man replied.

"Yeah Hotch?" Derek asked looking up from the paperwork he was working on.

"You said you would speak to this girl sometime today when we left yesterday." Hotch replied.

Derek turned to see Annabelle standing slightly behind Hotch. A look of remembrance came over is face.

"Yes. You were the one that walked up to me yesterday on my way out."

Annabelle shook her head yes.

"Your sister Sara told me to come and talk to you about my father's death."

Derek looked around and motioned for the girl to follow him. He led her to the round table room which was clean of any evidence that could scar the girl.

"I thought it would be easier for you to talk if we came in here." He told the girl. "You okay Hotch?" he asked when he saw the look on his bosses face.

"Yeah. Every thing okay here I have to talk with J.J. about something." Hotch replied with a nod before leaving.

After Hotch left the room Derek waited a few minutes before starting the conversation with the girl. He grabbed a notepad so he could write down what the girl said.

"So what is it about your father?"

"His name was James Reilly; he was killed in explosion only I think after seeing the footage of it there was something more. It looked like a bomb was involved. I told your sister after she wouldn't leave me alone about what was bothering me. She told me to talk to you."

"Do you have the footage with you?"

"I have some new clips that I found on YouTube save on my computer."

"Do you have your computer with you?"

"No but I have my iPhone and you can watch them on there." Annabelle replied.

"Sure bring them all up while I go talk with our technical analyst and see if she can find any better footage." Derek told the girl.

Annabelle did what she was told and brought up the only videos she could find. She placed them all on paused them all so she didn't have to watch them again. She sat back in the chair and waited for Derek to return.

She got tired and laid her head down on the table. It wasn't long until her eyes drifted closed and she was being shaken awake.

"Do you have those videos up?" Derek asked.

Annabelle nodded hand handed over her iPhone and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up straighter.

After Derek watched the videos and Annabelle watched his reactions to them. They were not good. He shook his head and put the phone down on to the table after the last video.

"We can't do much right now but I have our technical analyst looking into it and my boss Aaron Hotchner has our Media Liaison looking into it. I'll let you know if anything else comes up okay."

"Thanks I wasn't sure if anything could be done and wasn't going to say anything but your sister made me." Annabelle replied.

"That's fine. Some times our biggest cases come from suspicions like yours."

"Well if I find anything else I'll call you." Annabelle said. "I got your card." She added at the questioning look on his face.


	3. Chapter3: scum of the heart

**Temptation is the fire that brings up the scum of the heart.**

**William Shakespeare**

Derek followed the girl out of the building and get into a cab and watched as she left. There was something to the bombings as she called it and couldn't place a finger on it. After watching the girls cab drive off Derek mad his way to his desk to call his sister to see if she really told the girl anything.

"Hey Sara this is Derek your brother. I need you to call me back whenever you get this. It's about your roommate." he told the machine that picked up.

Derek had just hung up his phone when Spencer Reid walked in. He looked tired like he had been up all night and not for a good reason either.

"So pretty boy what did you do last night that caused you to come in so late."

"It was nothing like that. I was up all night with Jane because she was sick. Olivia left for that conference last night."

"Yeah J.J. said that was going around in Henry's Daycare class."

"I thought Henry stayed home with Will."

"Oh he does most of the time but they have him in daycare to get the socialization with kids his age is what she told me."

"Any new cases?" Reid asked sitting down in his chair.

"I only know of one." Morgan replied.

"Details." Reid said.

"A girl that claims to be my sisters college roommate came to us stating that she thought that her dad died because of a bombing and not an explosion like she was told."

"How do you know she's telling the truth?" Reid asked.

"I don't that's why I am waiting for my sister to call back to see if she really told her roommate to talk to me." Derek told him. "I do have one question for you?"

"What?"

"Where's Jane if Olivia is out of town."

"She's with a neighbor whose husband is a detective for the DC police." Reid replied. "Her own daughter was home sick so she offered to watch Jane for me."

"What are you going to do if we have to leave for the case?"

"I guess I would head out after Olivia got back Friday." Reid replied. "Unless Garcia is willing to take her."

"Take who?" asked Penelope Garcia walking up.

"Jane if the team get's called out on a case."

"Of course I would. You know I had that screen put in my office so she or any of the other kiddies didn't have to see the horror that I see every day."

"Thanks." Reid replied.

**~!~**

It was around lunch time when the team's slow paced day changed. Derek had long ago gotten the call back from his sister confirming that Annabelle was indeed telling the truth. His sister had even sent a picture of an old state ID of Annabelle's to him to prove that she was who she said she was.

Derek had been eating at his desk and had just tossed his lunch remains into the trash. He did this just as J.J. ran from her office to Hotch's office. She had no file in her hand but Morgan and Reid both watched as she grabbed a remote and turned on the TV in the office. Flames flying out of the windows of a high rise building. Morgan and Reid instantly pushed away from their desk and ran to Hotch's office.

"What's going on?" Reid blurted out as soon as he walked into the room.

"Bombing in LA at the Hoover and White building." J.J. Replied.

Morgan's face instantly dropped down further.

"Something wrong?" Hotch asked.

"Could this be related to that case that Annabelle brought to us?" He asked.

"Don't know it might be. We haven't been called yet. J.J. just wanted me to be on alert so I could let Jessica know if I have to leave."

"I'm guessing the same would go for me since I have Jane for the week."

"Yes but instead of just watching this go work on your profile request. Don't want to get Strauss another reason to split the team." Hotch replied.

**~!~**

The man just stood across the street on another rooftop looking down at the flame that licked their way up the high rise, known as the Hoover and White building even though the lawyers and their partners occupied the top three floors. They would pay for what they did to him and his family.

Ten years he waited to get his revenge. Ten years he had been locked away for a crime he didn't commit and he was going to make everyone who worked to put him away pay for what they did. What they didn't know was that the H&W building wasn't his first hit and certainly wouldn't be his last.

As the flames caused by the bomb died down. The man looking at them starred down at the crowed of people gather below looking at the horror wondering if everyone got out okay. He didn't care as long as his two targets didn't make it out alive.

He took his cigarette and threw it down to the roof top and stubbed it out. He picked it back up and removed the paper and any DNA that he might leave behind and old habit he kept from his time in the army which wasn't much better than his days in prison.

"Ich erhalte Sie" he mumbled before leaving the rooftop. He had no reason to stay and get caught by the police did he? He grabbed the bag that held his supplies for his next target wherever it was. He wasn't even sure if it was still around but if he couldn't get the people three he would get them at his next target. He climbed into his dark blue SUV before unzipping the bag and make sure everything was ready to be put in place.

He watch the flames grow higher again as he drove away. A creepy and disgusting smile spread across his face.

**~!~**

**Sorry so late.**

**College got in the way.**

**Hope you like.**

**Maye**


	4. Chapter4: All The Best Gamblers Do

**Quit while you're ahead. All the best gamblers do.**

**Baltasar Gracian**

**~!~**

Not even two full days after the Hover and White bombing a post office ten blocks away was targeted. Only this time a note was left. It was written in German.

_Morgen kommt der Tag, der die grausame*_.

"I'm guessing by the note this guy is of German heritage or spent a lot of time around someone who was." Morgan declared.

"What makes you think it's a male unsub and not a female unsub?" Hotch asked.

"Most bombings you hear about are men. Only a few have been female. The same thing could be said about arsonist."

Reid piped up from his seat across the aisle with a long list of statistics on female bombers and arsonist.

"Okay Reid. If I wanted a lecture I would go back to school." Prentiss replied.

"Well we land in three hours and I have no idea how much sleep we will get on the ground. So get it while you can." Hotch replied closing his copy of the file.

He had moved to a more privet part of the plan. Each member of the team knew what he was doing. He was looking at the last photo he had ever taken with Haley and Jack before she had past. It was almost a year since she had past but it was still hard on him heck it was still hard on them all.

Morgan turned his gaze from his unit chief back to J.J. "What has you all frustrated?" he asked.

"I got that Job offer again. Strauss wants me to take it but I don't want to. I turned it down."

"Strauss can't do a thing to you for turning down a job if it means she'll look good if you take it. Stop worrying about it." Morgan told her.

She gave him a smile a thanks before closing her own file and going to hunt down a seat to sleep in. Prentiss was already sitting beside Reid playing a card came with him and losing fantastically to him. Why anyone played cards with Reid he will never know. There are two reasons why he thought this and the first was because one he was from Vegas and two he was a genius.

Giving a heavy sigh Morgan closed his eyes after rubbing them and tried get some sleep before they landed in California. This case was going to be hard he already knew that. If it was connected to Annabelle's dad death he didn't know.

He really hoped for Annabelle's sake that it was just a bad gas leak and not a bomb. But looking at the video's he could tell there was something else to the explosion weather it was deliberate or not he didn't know.

The sleep he so longed for before a case took over him even if just for a few minutes on a plane to their next case. Sleep and breaking down walls where the two of the three things that got him through this job.

**~!~**

He hadn't planned on the post office. The place he really wanted to target wasn't there anymore. It had closed down while he had been in prison. A lot of places had closed down while he was in prison. Even the place he had worked was gone.

He snipped the wires on his latest project. He had to have everything just right even the length of the wires use otherwise everything would go wrong. He placed the carefully in position so he didn't disturb the more violent contents for the package and then finished wrapping the box. It looked like a Christmas present with the solid green and red stripped paper that was use which was the only thing he had on hand.

He took the box and carefully walked it out to his car a standard four door sedan the make unknown. He placed the box in the front passenger seat before walking around the car and getting in on the driver's side. He had drove slower than he normally did out of the overly manicure neighborhood so he didn't mess up the package. He even had his right hand pressed up against the front of the box so it wouldn't slip out of the front seat. It would be very bad for him if that did happen to him. He wouldn't get his revenge on those that took his family away from him.

His destination was the smallest on his list and would take no time to destroy. It would have been easier to set it aflame but he couldn't stay and make sure that it was destroyed. He had to get away so he wouldn't get caught. He could not get caught till the time was right.

**~!~**

The wind was blowing hard when the team landed in California. None of the team members got the deep sleep the craved but hardly ever came to them anymore. J.J. was the first off the plane to be greeted by Lt. Detective Owen Kim.**

"Detective Kim." J.J. greeted.

"Sorry we had to meet again this way." He said. "We would have waited but the chief said no."

"That's all right." She said as everyone climbed into the cars that were provided.

When they got to the police station they were greeted by a young man with dark curly hair writing equations on the board and mumbling to himself.***

"We can talk in here." Kim said pointing to a conference room.

Everyone nodded and followed him.

"Makes you think of Reid don't it?" Morgan commented to Prentiss.

Emily suppressed a laugh before saying. "Yes but he doesn't seem to talk as much."

"That could change." Morgan told her.

Emily just shrugged her shoulders and turned around to walk into the conference room. Morgan followed her after taking one last glance at the man writing away on a dry erase board. He sat down in between Reid who was spouting off some fact and Prentiss who rolled her eyes at him.

**~!~**

**_*It's suppose to be German and translate to 'Tomorrow will come the day that the cruel will pay'_.**

****_was an actual character in two episodes of Criminal Minds. 'Somebody's watching' in the first season and 'The Performer' in the 5__th__ season._**

***** Two virtual cookies, a hug from Spencer and a Review of one of your stories from me if you guess who this man is. (it really isn't that hard).**


	5. Chapter5:ViolentOpposition MediocreMinds

**Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds**

**Albert Einstein**

**~!~**

Spencer Reid couldn't help but look the guy that was going nuts with a dry erase marker. He shook his head thinking that his team thought the same thing about him when it came to insane statistics and facts.

"Who is that?" Reid asked from his seat beside Morgan.

"That is Professor Charlie Epps. He's helping us out while his brother has no need for it."Detective Kim said leaving the room through a different door than the one they came in.

"Is he some kind of Genius?" Morgan asked called after Kim.

"Went to Princeton at the age of 13." A man said from the door.

"Dang Reid it's another you." Morgan said.

"What you did you go to Princeton?" the man asked.

"No. I went to CalTech." Reid replied.

"Oh he works there."******the guy replied.

"How do you know him?" Prentiss asked.

"He's my brother."

"Oh." The group replied.

"Hey Don when you get here?" asked Detective Kim.

"About two minutes ago. I've been assigned to this case." Don replied.

"I thought you had that bank robbery."

"It was two kids trying to get money for their dad's cancer treatments." Don replied. "So what do we have here?" he asked referring to the case.

"So far two bombings in public places possibly a third at a privet home. The bomber is on some kind of vendetta."

"What is it about the possible bombing?"

"That was brought up by a daughter of the only person to pass away so far if they are connected that is." Morgan replied.

"Can the daughter be trusted?" Don asked.

"She was only sent in because my little sister told her to and out tech has done an extensive background check on her no terroristic links or anything of the sort." Morgan replied.

"The look of the bombing from Annabelle's father's home could also be covered as an explosion." Reid added so Morgan didn't have to.

"What was her father's name?" Don asked.

"Delbert Riley he was a retired security guard we'll know more when Garcia get's back to us with the background check." Prentiss said looking at her copy of the file.

They had all sat down and started talking about the details of the case and what could connect any of the locations or people at those locations to other people when a female officer came running in to the room.

"Another bomb went off on south Lincoln Avenue near that recruitment office." She said out of breath.

"Prentiss, Morgan you go with Don and check out the newest site and Reid, Rossi and I will go and check out the others. J.J. you stay here in case Garcia calls here and not our cell-phone's first." Hotch said delegating the work like a wedding planner planning a wedding.

Don, Derek and Emily were only a few blocks away and they could see the smoke rising from where they assumed the bomb went off. They couldn't see any flames but they were blocks away. The sirens were loud and agitating but something they have gotten used to with their job. Fire truck and ambulance passed them heading to the scene. They pulled up about a block away because of the barrier.

"We'll have to walk the rest of the way." Don told the others.

The climbed out of the vehicle and started to walk in the direction from where the streaming crowed was coming from. They reached a second barrier that kept cars from driving threw and were stopped by an officer.

"FBI." They all said showing their badges.

"Go on." The officer said after taking a good hard look at the badges.

They were horrified by what they saw. Rubble had littered the street. Papers were falling out of the widows down to the street. Injured people sat on the sidewalks waiting to be attended to. Firemen ran in and out of the building as smoke and flames poured out of the windows causing more mayhem than the other bombs had.

"This guy is getting worse." Moran commented.

"If we don't stop him it's going to be another 9/11." Don added.

"We need to find out who's in charge." Prentiss stated.

"I'm gonna see if I can find the fire chief and see what he says." Morgan said.

"I'll see if anyone from my team has showed up yet." Don replied.

The trio split up each one looking for who was in charge or thought they were in charge. Morgan found the Fire Chief and was taking to him about what they have done for safety and if they have found the bomb or source of the explosion at the point (which they hadn't). Don was talking to a white version of Morgan but with hair and a woman with long dark brown hair. Prentiss herself only found overweight officers that seem to order around officers' much younger and in better shape than themselves after her third encounter with one of these types of men she went to find Morgan who was no longer talking with the Fire Chief. After not seeing Morgan anywhere in her line of site Prentiss went to speak with the victims that sat on the side walk.

"Hi Ma'am." She asked a woman with some bruises and a cut above her left eye.

The woman looked up at her but said nothing.

"I'm with the FBI I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about what happened here."

"Sure." The woman replied.

"Did you work here or around here?" Prentiss asked.

"No. I brought my son to the requirement center. He's a senior in high school and wanted to join the Navy or the army but I made him look it to everything he could and be sure about it. He was here to talk to a Navy man. I left so they could talk alone. I wasn't even twenty feet away when it just blew apart. I haven't seen my son and I… don't even… know if… he's alright." The woman replied ending in a sob.

"I'll see if I can find out about your son. What was his name?"

"Robert Otto Wiseman." The woman replied. "He has red hair and blue eyes and a scar on his left arm from an accident when he was twelve."

"I'll be back." Prentiss told her before going off in search of the woman's son.

While looking for Robert she spotted Morgan finish talking to a firefighter.

"Hey Prentiss you find anything?" he called.

"No but a woman was at the recruitment center with her son just be for everything went to heck. I've been looking for the woman's son she hasn't seen him since she left him in the recruitment center."

"Description?" Morgan asked.

"Red hair blue eyes and a scar on his left arm and about eighteen years' olds." Prentiss replied before they both went off searching for the young man.

It was an hour before they got anything. Morgan stopped to ask if any bodies were found in the building. The Fire Chief said yes and that they were both alive and taken to St Vincent's Memorial 3 miles away. After telling Prentiss what he had learned (and she relayed it to the mother) they left to find Don who they found talking to the same woman he had been talking to earlier but the guy that was with her was nowhere to be seen.

"Nothing. Not of the injured the two that could probably tell us anything are in no condition to do so." They heard him ramble.

"You get anything?" Don asked when they walked up.

"Nothing except a woman who left the building just before the bomb went off." Moran said. "I told the Fire Chief to have the things suspected to be part of the bomb to be sent to the station." He added.

"That's fine."

"We'll Don I'm going to grab Colby and see if Larry can help us by using the super computer."

"See you Nikki." He replied.

**I know Charlie works at CalSci not CalTech but I want my story to be real and I believe CalSci is based on CalTech.


	6. Chapter6: End up with Ashes

"**People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes."**

**~Abigail Van Buren~**

J.J. was working her laptop when Morgan and Prentiss arrived at back at the station. Prentiss walked up to the white Board and stuck two picture on it.

"Why you adding them?" Reid asked from a table across the room.

"One has already passed away and the other is fighting for his life and from what we know they were near the center of the blast but we'll know for sure until we get the stats on the blast zone." She replied.

"What are their names?" Reid asked.

"Sergeant Ryan Wilkes he was on desk duty at the center after a car accident took his leg." Prentiss said pointing to one photo. "And this is Robert Otto Wiseman He was an 18 year old high school senior. Neither of them have anyone who wants to hurt them."

"So now we have two possibly three victims." Morgan said.

"Yep." J.J. replied.

"What are you working on Kid?" Morgan asked Reid.

"I'm working on a geographical profile. I figured it could either help us find him or her and or where they plan on striking next."

"Where are Hotch and Rossi?" Prentiss asked.

"They are still at the crime scenes including the one we are not even sure it's connected." Reid said not even looking up from his map.

While Reid worked on the geographical profile and J.J. typed away on her computer. Morgan called Garcia.

"The all knowing oracle is speaking." Garcia answered.

"Hey Baby girl I need you to look something up for me."

"Oh anything for you my captain."

"I need you to find me all you can on a SGT Ryan Wilkes and a Delbert Otto Wiseman." Morgan replied.

"I'll send it to your phone." Garcia said before hanging up.

Just as he was hanging up with Garcia Morgan watched as Rossi and Hotch walked in. Hotch was carrying a fairly large evidence box. Hotch walked over to Morgan and placed the large box in front of him.

"What is this?" Morgan asked.

"Your sisters roommate was right about her father what's in that box proves it." Hotch replied.

Morgan ripped of the lid of the box and inside were hundreds of little pieces of metal that looked like they all fit together. No wonder Hotch set the box in front of him. Yeah Reid could put the metal pieces back together he wasn't one for fiddling around with bombs whether they be alive or dead.

J.J. came into the room and grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. "The Recruitment center bombing hit national news. It's on CNN now." She told the group.

"What about the others?" Morgan asked.

"They haven't made the connection yet and probably won't until we disclose it." She replied.

"What about other recruitment centers in the area? Should we warn them?" Prentiss asked.

"We have warned them but asked them to keep the information to themselves. Their security has been upped." J.J. replied.

"Hopefully we find this guy before anyone gets hurt." Reid said leaning back in his chair.


	7. Chapter7: A Sword Never Kills

**A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand.  
****Lucius Annaeus Seneca**

A lone man walked into the work shop he had been renting. It was the only place he would work on his project without getting interrupted. It was a rather small space but it was all he could afford. He took his projects home each night so no one would know what he was working on or steal all his idea's like he knew they wanted to do. He only had a few more targets to hit until his revenge was complete. Not to mention he could only work so long each day because the shop was closed at a certain time each night.

The man carefully set the latest project down. He only had a few more adjustments to make and they wouldn't take long. As soon as he began working others that rented at the workshop also started to come in. They would give him a wave or nod hello and he would do the same back so he didn't arise any suspicion with them.

"Hey Smith you good with wiring?" a man no younger than forty asked.

"A little." Smith replied.

"Can you do a radio for a Dodge Neon?" the same man asked.

"Sure. When do you want me to do it?" Smith asked.

"Within the next few hours. It's a surprise for my son."

"Just let me clean up here." Smith replied gesturing to his work area.

Smith cleaned up his work area and placed his project safely in the back of his vehicle. He walked over to the Blue Dodge Neon he was asked to put the radio in. The set up was simple to him at least he had already done three jobs like the neon before. When he was finished with the radio the man packed his own things up and drove off in the Neon.

He went back to his station to clean up what he couldn't before. It didn't take long. He was just about done when Reardon walked up to him.

"Smith; pack up were closing down for the night." Reardon (the man who owned the place) hollered at him.

"It takes time it's sensitive." He replied back just to get a little more time.

"I don't care I want you to pack your stuff and get out plus your two weeks late on rent. I need the money and I need it soon." The balding man snapped.

Smith gather everything he had left the figuring that he couldn't continue to do his work there. They were getting to nosy and he couldn't have people figuring out what he was doing. He had to finish his plan he didn't care if he got arrested as long as he was finished with his plan first. He only had a few more to build and detonate until his plan was finished. He would have to find another workshop or garage that he could rent out to do work in a storage container wouldn't work as the security systems littered the place.

**~!~**

It had been two days since the Recruitment Center bombing and the story continued to spread around the country like wildfires through California. The team had been working hard along with Don's team. Sam Cooper and his team helped until they were called away on another case.

Morgan and Reid had taken a trip out to Annabelle's father's house.

"I think they did some clean up. It doesn't look as bad in the video." Reid commented.

"An actor doesn't always look the same in person as they do on TV." Morgan replied.

"The bomb or explosion originated in the kitchen. You can see the most damage is in that area and the dining room and the stair way down to the basement are the next two rooms with extensive damage. Everything else just fell because the load bearing walls were compromised." Reid rambled.

"I get it kid. Just look for anything that could be a bomb." Morgan replied.

Morgan and Reid continued to search the site for hours. They took their time and did it slowly. Working their way from the front of the house to the back of the house where the kitchen was.

Reid was in the kitchen and looking around what looked like the stove or the refrigerator.

"Morgan." He called when he came to a piece of pipe larger than the piping used in the house.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"This piece of pipe looks odd compared to the other pipes that are visible."

"Bag it and Tag it. We can have the Lab look at it when we get back."

"Check to see if you can find any more. Even if they are really small pieces."

Reid and Morgan looked around the rubble for another hour before they decided to pack up the pieces they found.

"I'm guessing we found at least half the bomb if that's what it is." Reid said placing the bags he had in the box at the back of their SUV.

"We could have most of it but like you I think we have at least half of it." Morgan replied. "It's a shame that we couldn't find the detonator or other things like that." He added.

**~!~**

"Hey I found something?" a lab tech said to SSA Jenifer Juneau who had been observing the testing.

"What did you find?" J.J. asked.

"What I found looks like it could be a label that would have been used for mailing or something like that but we know the package wasn't mailed but you can see some of the hand writing on the edge of it. That should help when you find a suspect." The tech said. "Sorry if I disturbed you but this seemed important."

"No Ann you did well. But could you scan and enlarge this so I could show it to the team."

"Sure I could do that now. I'll send it up when I'm done." Ann replied.

J.J. left to go and see if Morgan and Reid had arrived back.

**Hope you like please leave a review**.


	8. Chapter8: New Eyes

**The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."**

**Marcel Proust**

Derek Morgan walked into the police station that would be their head quarts for their stay in Los Angeles. His friend and partner for the day Spencer Reid was walking right behind him. Each had a box filled with plastic bags.

"What do you guys have there?" Prentiss asked.

"Bomb parts." Reid replied putting his box down on the conference table.

Shouldn't they be taken to the lab?" Prentiss commented.

"They will they said they would send a lab tech over for them in about an hour or so." Morgan replied setting his box down.

"Where's rest of the team?" Reid asked after getting a good look around.

"J.J. is down visiting the lab and Rossi and Hotch went to interview some tips that came in that might be credible." Prentiss replied. "They all should be back soon but you might run into J.J. if you take the boxes down to the lab yourselves." She added.

"I'll take them down. They need to be processed as soon as possible. They have been outside so long who knows what's contaminated them and Reid I do not what to know." Morgan said before Reid could even open his mouth.

Prentiss sat their laughing at Reid while he tried to come up with a comeback which he couldn't come up with one. Reid just walked away and went back to work on the Geographical profile. He was doing a second where only threats were placed. He did the one with the threats on an over lay to see where the un-sub would likely hit. They would have to run it through the analysis that Charlie Epps was doing to see what target would likely be next.

"What are you working on Reid?" Hotch asked once he got back.

"A geographical Profile to the threats that the previous bombing sites and ones that sound like our un-sub that haven't been hit yet and seeing how they fall in with the profile that shows the bombings." Reid said not looking up from his work.

"Good work." Hotch replied shaking his head.

"Morgan is down in the lab if you are looking for him." Reid called after Hotch.

Hotch turn around gave Reid a nod and walked away making his way down to the lab seeing what Morgan found if he found anything. J.J. was coming up just as he was going down.

"Do you have anything?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah. This is an enlarged photo of a small portion of a label from the packaging of the latest bomb. You can see a small amount of the hand writing. We can compare that to any suspects we bring in." J.J. told Hotch.

"You did a good job." Hotch said.

"Don't give me the praise. Give it to Ann down in the lab." J.J. replied. "I'm going to take this and scan it to Garcia and see if she can come up with anything."

**~!~**

A woman in her mid twenties was tired after getting home from work but no sleep was still hours away for her. She had a six year old daughter to take care of. She helped her daughter out of the van. Once out of the van the little girl took off running for the back yard.

"Louise be careful and don't get to dirty you still have dinner to eat." The woman yelled after the little girl.

The woman walked into the house before so she could start dinner. She had a perfect view of her daughter from the kitchen window. She was playing around on the swing set. Once she had dinner in and out of the oven she went to the back door to call her daughter in.

"Louise come in and wash up. You can play again after dinner."

The little girl didn't say a thing and just walked in and did what her mother told her to do.

The woman watch as her daughter walked into the hall bathroom. She turned on the TV to catch some of the news before they sat down to eat. She caught the tail end of a news report about the bombing that have been happening.

…_remember thick black marker was used on the label in block lettering. If you receive a package like this call the police immediately. DO NOT Pick it up. Tune in at ten for an update._

After washing her hands Louise went to the living room looking for the book her grandmother said she sent her. Louise couldn't find the book and decided to look outside where she knew the mail would be there was a small box that she just knew would have her book in side.

"Mommy there's a present for you. It says to Alice Mi… Miller."

"What does it look like honey?" she asked.

"Brown paper with a white sticker that has your name on it in big black letters." Louise replied.

"DON't pick it up." Alice yelled.

"I already did." Louise replied back starting to cry.

Alice ran to her daughter grabbing the phone along the way.

"Louise I'm not mad the news said not to pick a package that looks like that up. I got to call the police but you got to keep on holding the package you can't set it down okay."

Louise shook her head yes.

Alice dialed 911.

"_911 what's your emergency?" a nasal voice asked_.

"I received a package like the one described on the news. My daughter picked it up. Please send someone." Alice snapped at the person.

"_What is your address?" the operator asked._

"54 north Abington way." Alice replied.

"_We are sending someone now. Please try and keep yourself and your daughter calm ma'am."_

Alice gave a shaky yes as a reply. She sat the phone down so she could concentrate on her daughter. Louise's arms were already starting to get tired from holding the heavy box.

"You are doing good Louise. You just got to wait until the cops come here." Alice replied.

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	9. Chapter9: Ends with family

**"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"**

** Anthony Brandt**

Louise held on to the box for a very long time and wanted to put it down but her mother wouldn't let her. Alice just kept on giving her daughter words of encouragement. It didn't take long for her to hear sirens in the air. She couldn't tell how far they were but hope they would be their soon.

"Mommy I don't want to hold the box anymore." Louise said again.

"I know honey but you got to be a big girl and hold it until the policemen get here." Alice told her daughter glad to see a large black van coming down the road toward her house. Most people would be scared by a big black van but this van had the logo for the police department.

They pulled into her drive way as far as they could and rushed over to the little girl and her mother.

A man with short brown hair climbed out of the van with a metal stand. He ran over to the woman and her daughter.

"Ma'am you have to move." He said.

"It's Alice." The woman replied.

"Well Alice you have to move so I can help you daughter." He told her.

Alice moved but did so reluctantly. She didn't move more than two feet from the porch and watched as the man with brown hair fit the stand just under her daughter's hands. He slowly pushed it under the package before he had Louise move the box down on to the flat part of the stand.

"You can go to your Mom now." He told the girl with a smile after the box was on the stand.

Louise ran faster than she ever had and jumped into her mother's arms. Alice didn't let her daughter go and walked behind the barrier that the bomb squad had set up. Alice had no idea what happen next except that the bomb was likely defused or something like that because it never went off.

After they defused the bomb if you could call it defusing a black SUV pulled up in front of the house. Out stepped a dark haired woman and an equally dark haired man. The two people walked up to her.

"Hello Ma'am. I am Agent Don Epps and this is Agent Emily Prentiss we like to ask you a few questions about the package you received."

"Can we go inside? I'd feel better in there." Alice declared looking around at the flashing lights and prying stares of her neighbors who came outside to see what was going on.

"Sure." Prentiss replied gesturing for Alice to lead them inside her home.

Agent Epps walked over to the man who had kept Alice's daughter calm while she was holding the bomb. He talked to them for a few minutes but Prentiss and Alice couldn't hear what was being said.

"We can go inside and they are sending the package to your friend Derek." Don replied.

Alice let them inside. Sat the daughter at a table covered with paper and crayons. She sat down in an arm chair by a small fire place. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Do you know of anyone that would want to hurt you?" Don asked.

"No. I work as a secretary at a law firm but I have nothing to do with the cases." Alice replied.

"What about your husband?" Don asked.

"He's overseas right now. He hasn't been home for six months." Alice replied.

"What I meant was do you know of anyone that would want to hurt you because of him?" Don replied.

"No. He's friendly with everyone and I mean everyone." Alice told the two agents. "And the package was addressed to me wouldn't that mean who ever sent it or placed it there wanted to go after me and not my husband." She added.

"The person that did this has attacked a few other places and left notes in German. Do you know anyone that speaks German or with a German back ground?" Prentiss asked.

"Not off the top of my head. I could email my husband and see if he can think of anyone like that but it would be a few day until he can get back to me." Alice replied.

"That is fine. Here is my card call when you hear back from your husband." Don said.

"Do you have another place you can go to incase of an emergency?" Prentiss asked.

"Yes I have my mother that lives three hours away; why?" Alice replied.

"The person that sent the package could come back. It might be a good idea if you went to stay with her for a while." Prentiss replied.

"I just might go stay with her for a while after today." Alice replied. I'll be sure to call you when I hear back for Alain." She added.

Alice was still worried an hours after the FBI left. She had finally fed Louise dinner before giving her a bath and letting her watch one more movie before she went to bed. The nagging feeling still plagued her.

She took her time to email her husband Alain to let him know what was going on. Even though he was overseas she still couldn't keep anything from him. She even told him that she was going to stay at her mother's because she was t0o scared to stay in their house alone.

After she emailed Alain she picked up the phone to call her mother. "Hey mom it's Alice." She said.

"_Is Alain okay?" her mother asked._

"He's fine. I was wondering if Louise and I can come and stay with you for a while." Alice said. "I'll explain why when I get there. I don't want to worry Louise too much."

"_Of course you can say. It's been so long since I've seen you anyway and it will give me a change to spoil Louise." Her mother said._

"Not too much." Alice replied before hanging up.


	10. Chapter10: Others on your side

**"The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side"**

** Margaret Carty**

It was hours later when the team finally got to sit down and talk about the profile and the latest victims. Morgan had taken a seat by Reid after he finished looking at the latest bomb. It made it easier for him to put together the bomb parts he and Reid found and Annabelle's father's house.

"I don't get why Alice was targeted." Morgan said.

"It has to do with the military. Her husband was in the military, the first victim was in the military when he was younger. There was a company with office in the Hover and White building that had military contracts. Then there was the obvious one of the recruitment center. All of the victims no matter how miniscule have a connection to the military." Prentiss explained.

"So this guy has something against our military?" Morgan asked.

"My guess is yes but there are so many people out there with something against our military knowing that will not do anything to narrow down our profile." Hotch replied. "Did you and Don get anything from Alice Marks?"

"Nothing except her husband is overseas. She says she'll contact him to see if they know anyone with a German background and let us know what he says when he gets back to her. She might also be going to stay with her mother three hours away." Prentiss told the team.

"Did you find anything about the bomb?" Hotch asked Morgan.

"It's your basic bomb with the pipe and timer. There was a small etching on the end of the complete bomb and there looked to be something similar on the dismantled one. Not sure if it was the same thing or not but it could be a signature added to the bomb. Like the robots from the case a few years ago with the guy that was obsessed with the novel Empty Planet." Morgan replied.

"Was the address label compared to the fragment we found from the one of the other bombs?" Hotch asked.

"It was and it looks to be the same but since it is block printing it's harder to compare." J.J. answered.

"Well it's getting late and I suspect some of you haven't gotten any sleep since we got here so go back to you rooms for tonight and we start back again tomorrow unless there is another attack." Hotch said dismissing the team.

The team climbed into the SUVs provided for them and headed back to their hotel rooms for the night. Each of the team members staying up later working on the case in their own way. Reid was looking at maps of all the bombing sites weather the bombs had gone off or not. Morgan hung up photos on his mirror of all the victims. J.J. was making a plan for how to deal with the media as the case went on and got worse. Prentiss was going over the files on all the victims looking for some kind of connection that Garcia might of missed with was highly unlikely. The only two team members not working on the case where Hotch and Rossi; Hotch wasn't working the case at the moment but fielding calls from Erin Strauss; while Rossi was talking with his agent who wanted him to do another book tour.

**~!~**

The next morning the team looked ragged like none of them had slept at all. Reid was up half the night working on the geological profile which was finished be he was refining it a little more. He also talked to Olivia for about an hour after he called Jane to say good night. He found out that she had arrived home earlier after the key note speaker had to be put into the hospital. The rest just didn't get a good night sleep.

"What are we doing today?" Morgan asked.

"Not much unless there is another threat or something like that." Hotch replied.

"So we staying here or heading to the station?" Morgan asked.

"Sorry I'm late Henry wanted to keep on talking. It took Will ten minutes to get him off the phone." J.J. said running into the lobby of the hotel.

"We are going to the station. In case anymore news comes in." Hotch replied. "Have you figured out what to do with the Media?" Hotch asked J.J. after she sat down.

"Right now the media is okay no outrageous rumors have popped up in their reports so I don't think I would do anything right now." J.J. replied.

"I asked Garcia last night to get me a list of Military affiliated businesses and charities so we can contact them and see if they got any threats that fit our un-sub." Morgan replied.

"Do you have it yet?" J.J. asked.

"No. she told me she would have it when she got to work this morning which should be in ten fifteen minutes." Morgan replied just before his phone went off. "Speak of the Devil." He added.

"Is it the list?" Hotch asked.

"Yes. I'll go print it off now." Morgan said going back to his room.

He came back later with a list of the businesses and charities. There was six sheets each with over hundred places listed on each one.

"Garcia listed the businesses in order of their relations with the military the ones with the most are at the top of the first page and the ones with the least are at the bottom of the last page."

"We'll split up in pairs with Don's team and each pair will take a page."

The team climbed into their SUVs and went to meet up with Don's team. When they got there they paired off. Rossi went with Don. Emily paired with Charlie. Derek went with Colby. Nikki and Reid were paired together. J.J. and Meagan Reeves paired themselves together. David and Hotch were the only two left so they took a list and went to interview. It didn't take long for the others to follow.


	11. Chapter11: To live is to be slowly born

_**"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."\**_

_**Antoine de Saint-Exupery**_

Derek and Colby were on their twentieth interview and hadn't gotten a thing. He was starting to get agitated and wished that they could find something soon.

"Well ma'am if you do get any threats can you please call us at anytime to let us know." Derek said handing over his card.

"Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." The woman replied.

"That's okay. Take it as a blessing that you haven't been threatened at all." Colby told her.

The two men shook hands with the woman again before leaving her home.

"I'm glad to scratch that one off the list. Their just kids they can't help their dad's are overseas." Colby said leaning on the SUV.

"I feel the same. I just hope we or one of the others finds something soon. This psycho could do massive damage before we catch him." Derek said.

"We'll catch him. He'll make a mistake and we'll find him. We always do." Colby said getting into the SUV. "So where are we off too now?" He asked.

"The next one is Uncle Sam's Automotive. They give free car repairs to those that have served over seas." Derek said marking the daycare off the list.

"Automotive, that sounds more like a place he would rob for bomb materials than anything. We can at least warn them."

"We are warning every place we go of the danger even if they haven't had any threats made." Derek said starting the SUV up.

**~!~**

Emily and Charlie were on their thirty first when they got a call from Penelope.

"What do you have for me?" Emily asked the woman.

"You can cross of J.D.'s American Tattoo's off the list. They went bankrupt three months before the bombings started and the guy said that he hadn't received any kind of threat before he closed down."

"Thank you Penn." Emily said.

"Bye bye for now. I'll call if I find any more." Garcia said before hanging up.

"What was that?" Charlie asked.

"We can scratch a thirty second off our list."

"Which one?" he asked.

"J.D.'s American Tattoos. It was bankrupt long before the first bombing." Emily told him.

"Okay now on to _Red, White and Blue_ care packages." Charlie announced.

"What do they do?"

"It's a charity that puts together care packages for the men and women that have been injured in the war. They do it for men and women from other countries too." Charlie informed her.

"Thank you." Emily nodded.

**~!~**

Don and Hotch were half way through their list and had only found two places that could be targets of the bomber. They had each had threats starting two months before the first bombing. They had been on high alert and had even told the local police about the letters. They would do sweeps of the property for bombs and steak it out for a few days but that was all they could do. They did request that both places of business to close down for a few weeks or move their service to a new place for the time being but both places refused to move. The one was a church said that they wouldn't move their services unless G_d told them to and he hadn't said a thing to them at the moment.

"Has anyone else found anything?" Don asked Hotch.

"Nope but all pairs have given warnings to all those on the list." Hotch replied.

"Well let's finished the list so we can get back." Don said.

The two men drove to their next destination. Another recruitment center. It was smaller than the last one.

"Excuse me sir I am Agent Epps, this is Agent Hotcner. We are from the FBI…"

"You are investigating those bombings." The man said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. We were wondering if you have had any threats lately."

"We are a recruitment center of course we have threats." The man in uniform replied.

"Were any of them written in German or partially written in German?" Hotch asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't read the mail and I have only been working here for a few weeks and that's only until I get deployed again next month."

"Have you seen any suspicious characters hanging around?"

"There was just one guy that was dressed in all black. He looked kind of young to be hanging around a recruitment center he was white with dark hair."

"Is that all?"

"Yes sir. Sorry I couldn't be of much more help. My boss could help you but he's out for the moment." The man replied.

"It's okay. Please have your superior officer send us the threatening letters sometime soon after he gets back."

Don and Hotch headed outside. Thankful that they might have a small lead. As they were leaving they saw a man similar to the one the petty officer had described walking near the center.

"Excuse me sir can we speak with you?" Don asked.

The man in black took off down the sidewalk. Don took off right after him. Hotch got into the SUV hoping to block the man from getting somewhere else. Six blocks down the Don had the man sitting on the ground and hand cuffed.

Hotch parked the SUV so Don could get the man into the vehicle. Don buckled the man in before getting into the vehicle himself. Don and Hotch made their way to the station so they could question the man. They didn't say a thing to him the whole ride there. Both men were too angered at the moment to speak clearly.

"What's your name?" Hotch finally asked.

"Chris Matthews." The man replied.

Hotch took out his phone and called the only one he needed to call. "Garcia I need you to look someone up for me." He spoke.

"And who is that my dear?" Garcia asked.

"A Chris Matthews." Hotch replied.

"I'll send it to your PDA as soon as I have it." Garcia told him. "Garcia out." she added in a way that only Garcia could.


	12. Chapter12: Key to change

"**The key to change... is to let go of fear." **

**Rosanne Cash**

Megan Reeves and J.J. had finished their list before anyone else seemed to. They just hoped that they didn't miss something when interviewing the men and women who owned or operated the charities and businesses. They had taken a small break and gotten something to eat nether of them had anything to eat since that morning when before they got to work. They had been going over some of the letters given to them by the men and women who received threats but so far they had come up with nothing. Not even a single German word had been used in any of the letters but they figured they would have Reid go over them again when he got in with Nikki.

"Coming through." A voice called from down the hall.

That voice belonged to Hotch and he was leading a man cuffed behind his back to one of the interrogation rooms. J.J. and Megan went into the room opposite to watch the interview through the two way mirror. Don joined them moments later with a fresh cup of coffee.

"A little late in the day for that don't you think?" Megan asked him.

"I had to chase after that guy six blocks I could use the energy boost." He replied settling in for the long haul.

"_Why do you have to do with the Recriutment Center bombing?" Hotch asked._

"_Not a thing. That place was still standing when I left." The man replied._

"_I have footage of you leaving the Center just before it was bombed. What do you have to say to that?" Hotch countered._

"_I had nothing to do with the bombing. I wanted to join." The man replied pushing his hood off._

"_Then why did you run from me and my partner earlier?" Hotch asked._

"_I thought you were sent by my father to stop me. My brother died in Iraq last year and ever since them he has refused to let me even think about joining them let alone talk to the recruiters." Chris replied._

"_Where was your father at the time of the last bombing?" Hotch asked._

"_Drowning himself in another bottle of Jack I would think at least that's where he was when I left him to talk to the recruiters." Chris told Hotch._

"_Is your family German by any chance?" Hotch asked._

"_No, we are Cherokee, Blackfoot, Irish and Italian but not German." Chris said. "He would have renounced the German part of us after world war two if we had been."_

"_Well I am done questioning you for now but you will have to wait while we confirm your story." Hotch told Chris before exiting the room._

Hotch appeared in the room with Megan, Don and J.J. a few seconds later.

"What do you guys think?" He asked.

"If he's lying he's doing a dang good job of it." Megan replied.

"I'll go back to the recruitment center you guys just left to see if they have talked to him at all about joining." J.J. replied.

"Take Megan with you." Hotch told her. "I'll wait and see what Garcia says before I question him again." He added.

"I'll go see what the other pairs have come up with." Don said leaving the room.

**~!~**

J.J. and Megan took a spare SUV and went to the Recruitment Center. They like Hotch before them noticed that it was smaller than the one that had been bombed. When they walked in they caught the eye of an older gentlemen.

"What can I help you two with today?" the man asked.

"We want to ask if you have seen this young man." J.J. said holding out a photograph of Chris Matthews.

"I've had him in here a few times. He wanted to join badly but his father would always come barging in ten minutes after we would get to talking and drag the kid out of here yelling something about how we weren't going to get his last son." The man said.

"Did he ever make any threats against you?" Megan asked.

"No never. Now can I ask why you are asking about the boy and his father?"

"Well Mr…"

"It's Sergeant Williams." The man replied.

"Well Sergeant Williams, Chris here was caught not far from here after hanging around here suspiciously and taken in for questioning." Megan told Sgt. Williams.

"He hasn't had anything to do with the bombings has he? I know his brother died last year but he didn't seem the type to do something like that." Sgt. Williams said.

"Right now we are not sure but we don't think he's had any direct involvement in the case." Megan told him.

"Well Sergeant Williams thank you for your time. We'll leave you to finish your work." J.J. said.

Sergeant Williams nodded at the two women and went back to the cleaning he had been doing when they walked in. J.J. and Megan walked out to the SUV.

"That confirms one part of Chris's story. Now we need to know if he had a brother that really died last year in Iraq but Garcia should be able to figure that one out when she looks into the kid."J.J. said.

"I just hope we find the guy before another bombing happens but I have a feeling that hope is in vain." Megan said.

"Oh I don't think you are the only one hoping that there isn't another bombing. Derek is probably the worst of us all." J.J. said.

"Why is that?" Megan asked about Derek.

"He was in the bomb squad back in Chicago." J.J. told Megan as she pulled out of her parking space.

_**~!~**_

Derek and Colby had made it back with a few boxes of letters sent to the various places they had gone. He was shocked to see a young man in the interrogation room when they got back.

"Who's that?" he asked Don sitting at a nearby desk.

"Chris Matthews." Don replied. "He is an Army hopeful that has been stopped by his dad every single time he has tried. We stopped him this last time thinking he was the bomber. He has no German ancestry according to him any way. Your boss is waiting for Garcia to get back to him."

"Seems like you guys got the biggest lead." Derek commented.

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	13. Chapter13: Fear is Learned

"**Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here."**

**Author 'Unknown'**

Chris Matthews was starting to panic. He was sure his dad would kick the hell out of him when he found out about him trying to talk to the recruiters again and was sitting in an FBI interrogation room because of it but that would only be if he remembered his son before he thought of his 'need' of another bottle Jack again.

He had been sitting in the room for the past two hours waiting for that man to come back in and start asking questions again but he hadn't come back yet.

Chris leaned forward and laid his head on the table in his arms. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep under the watchful eye of the agent in question in the other room.

"Hotch." The agent said answering his phone.

"I dug as deep as I could and Christopher Ryan Matthews is not German in any way. He lost his mother four years ago to cancer and his brother last year to the war against terrorism. His father if you want to call the man that has been digging himself deeper into the bottle since his wife's death four years ago."

"Anything else I need to know?" Hotch asked.

"The Michael Carter has used his son as a punching bag for the last year. Poor Christopher has ended up in the hospital for days three times. The kid is only seventeen. Hotch get him out of his father's place of liv…"

"Sorry Garcia I've got to go." Hotch said cutting Garcia off and running to the other room as he watch Chris Matthews fall to the floor screaming in pain.

"Call a bus." Hotch hollered at a passing agent.

He had made it into the room. Chris was screaming in pain. Hotch had tried to ask where Chris felt the pain but Chris kept on yelling and ignoring the questions asking that someone make the pain stop. It was twenty minutes before an ambulance got there to help Chris. He was loaded up onto a stretcher. Megan Reeves went with him.

"Hotch what is going on?" Derek asked.

"The kid fell over and started screaming." Hotch replied.

"Were you to rough with him? When he was cuffed?" Derek asked.

"No. The kid was fine. It must have been a delayed reaction to something his father did. According to Garcia he has been his father's punching bag for the last year since his brother died." Hotch said.

"So he has internal injuries?" Derek asked.

"That's my guess. Why don't you ask Reid when he gets in? I'm going to the hospital." Hotch said.

"Should I let Don know?"

"No need too. IA is going to be down here to question me about it. You should head out of here before they can get to you to." Don said adding the last part just for Hotch.

"Derek, please have Garcia look into the father even more. He might have something to do with this even if it is behind the scenes." Hotch said slipping his coat on.

"Sure." Derek replied flipping his phone open. He pressed the number that would speed dial her. "Baby girl I need you to dig as deep as you can into Chris Mathews father's background."

"I did when I searched for Chris that's how I knew he wasn't German." Garcia replied.

"Garcia what name do you have down as his father?" Derek asked.

"I have Michael Carter. Why?"

"Because Chris told us his father's name was Jim Meyers. What's his mother's maiden name?" Derek told her.

"Hold one second while I bring that back up." Garcia said as she typed away. "Matthews was her maiden name."

"I'm guessing that Chris never knew that Jim Meyers wasn't his father. Garcia I need you to dig deep in to the background of…"

"Jim Meyers." Garcia said cutting him off. "I will call you when I finish digging and I will do it as fast as I can."

**~!~**

Aaron Hotchner was fidgety waiting in the hospital. He hadn't been in one since Foyet nearly stabbed him to death. The smell got to him also. The bleach used to clean the floors got to be a bit too much after awhile.

"What did Garcia Find?" Hotch asked after answering her phone.

"Jim Meyers isn't Chris's father."

"How did we miss that?" Hotch asked.

"Garcia and I just discovered it. We told her to search into Chris's background and didn't tell her what name to look for. She looked into his father listed on his birth records." Derek Explained.

"And who is his real father?" Hotch asked.

"The name listed as his father is Michael Carter. Chris had his mother's maiden name as his last name." Derek explained to Hotch.

"Can you have her run a search on an address for Michael Carter?" Hotch asked. "I have to get back inside and I can't use my phone." he added.

"Sure. I'll have her send that information to you along with the information on Jim Meyers."

"I want you to take the address when Garcia gets' it and go to it." Hotch replied. "We need to know if he knew he had a son and if he did why he wasn't around we also need to know if he inadvertently made someone of the German community mad and want to make a strike at him in attempt at revenge."

"I got it boss. I'll let Garcia know after I get off the phone with you. Anything else before I get off?" Derek replied.

"Not at the moment." Hotch replied before hanging up.

He walked back into the hospital. Chris was no longer in the emergency bay that he had been put it when they first arrived. Hotch had no idea where he was taken. He walked over to the registration desk and asked "Can you tell me where Christopher Mathews went?"

"Are you family?" the nurse asked in a snooty tone.

"No but I am FBI and I would like to know where my suspect is." Hotch replied back in the same tone.

"He's in an operating room three. You have to stay out here you can wait until we move him to ICU before standing guard." The woman replied.

**Pretty pretty please leave a review.**


	14. Chapter14: Do what you are afraid to DO!

"**Always do what you are afraid to do."**

**Ralph Waldo Emerson**

"What the hell happen to him Hotch? He was perfectly fine and you didn't lay a finger on him until he was on the ground." Derek Morgan said.

"I don't know. He has bruises all over his body. Like he was beaten and some of them were day or weeks old." Hotch replied. "What happen with the interview with Michael Carter?"

"It went fine he was a bit shocked by Chris being his son after his motehr had left." derek said before going onto explain about the interview.

_Derek walked up to the average white house. Bikes and all kinds of sports equipment littered the front lawn. Derek knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered. No one did. He rang the door bell and no one answered. He could hear laughing and walked around back._

"_Excuse me can I help you?" a man with dark salt and pepper hair asked._

"_I'm Derek Morgan. I'm from the FBI we'd like to speak with Michael Carter._

"_That's me. My I ask what you need with me." Michael asked._

"_I just wanted to ask you a few questions is all."_

"_Sure. Let's take this inside." Michael said._

"_Honey is everything alright?" a woman asked._

"_Everything is fine Charlotte. The FBI just need's my help with something. It'll be over in a few minutes. You make sure Bobby doesn't get hurt." Michael told her._

"_Okay."_

"_You have a nice family." Derek commented._

"_Yeah I do. Can I ask what was so urgent?"_

"_Do you remember having a relationship with Alice Mathews?" Derek asked._

"_A long time ago she ran off two months after I joined the Navy taking her son with her."_

"_Do you remember the son's name?"_

"_Jacob Mathews." Michael replied._

"_We think she gave birth to another son eight months after she left you."_

"_Are you saying I have another son?" Michael asked._

"_That's a possibility. He's in the hospital right now because he was beaten severely."_

"_I'm sorry but why are you telling me this."_

"_Have you heard about the bombing happing around town?"_

"_Yes why?" Michael replied._

"_He's a suspect but we don't think he was the one to do it. We think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."_

"_Why is he in the hospital?"_

"_We think he was beaten by the man he thought was his father. And if you don't mind me asking did you lose a wife four years ago?"_

"_Yes she died for heart failure. I met Charlotte two years ago at an AA meeting she was volunteering at."_

"_Have you had any problems with identity theft?"_

"_Yes. I get hospital bills all the time for a Chris Mathews." Michael said. "He's my son isn't he?"_

"_We think so. A DNA test will have to be preformed to make sure but he looks a bit like you."_

"_I want to see him."_

"_I don't know if you can be seen right now. But if you give me your number I can call you and let you know. I can also call you if I have any more questions."_

"I'd call him when he's out of the ICU and if not that wait till the kid's awake."

"Has IA been around?" Derek asked.

"They found us free of any guilt because Chris's injuries were at least days old. So we couldn't have done them." Hotch replied. "Fastest IA investigation I ever witnessed."

"That's good we can continue working without worry."

"Has Garcia given you the information on Jim Myers?" Hotch asked.

"Not yet but she could still be looking. I think the guy has been using Identify theft as a way to hide in plain sight."

"If Jim isn't our un-sub he will at least get arrested for the beatings against Chris." Hotch replied.

"I have a feeling's he's just a drunk man he may be German and pissed that his 'son' died but we'll have to wait and see but something isn't adding up."

"I just hope we find him and question him before we have another bombing. I don't think he's our un-sub the notes basically tells us that he lost his whole families not just one son but we won't know until like you said we question him."

"We'll get this guy and I like you hope to god that it's before we have another bombing." Derek said. "I'm going to go and see what Garcia had gotten on Jim."

"Let me know what you get. I'll call you and let you know when Chris wakes up." Hotch told him.

_**~*!*~**_

Just over twenty miles away from Derek Morgan and older man was walking around a very crowded mall with a large back pack. The security was watching him with a close eye. Not because of what could be in his bag but worried that he would be using it to hide items he has stolen or planning to steal.

The man noticed the security officers watching him and slipped into a clothing store in the middle of the mall. He grabbed some clothing to make himself look less obvious what he was about to do. Once he got to the dressing room he closed the door and hung his bag on the hook on the back of the door and zipped it open. He lifted the wooded top off the bench and set it aside. He went back to his bag and grabbed a complicated looking device from it and placed it inside the bench and setting the time and putting the wooded top back on the bench.

Before leaving the dressing room he zipped his bag back up and slipped it on to his back. He then took the clothes and hung them on the hook.

"Excuse me sir are you okay in there?" a female voice asked.

"No ma'am I am doing fine." He replied making it sound like he was changing.

After he thought was a good amount of time and wanting to get out of there he left the dressing room.

"Sir I'm going to have to look in your bag?" the security officer said.

"Sorry but why I didn't take anything it's all hanging up on the dressing room door."

"He's right sir who ever told you he was stealing things was wrong. I just finished putting up all the clothes he tried on and every single shirt and pair of pants was there."

"Sorry sir but we can't be too careful."

"That's fine. It happens to the best of us." He said cheerfully going on to the next store and repeating what he did in the first. He did the same thing in two more stores before leaving the mall. He took his car and drove to a parking garage not far away so he could watch his handy work in action. It would be a few hours before he would see it but the wait would be worth it.

He jumped when he heard a thumb on his driver side window.

"Excuse me sir you can't sleep here." A police officer said a few hours later.

"I'm not sleeping here. I'm waiting for my wife she must be running late because she was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago." The man said thinking on his feet.

"Sorry sir but you are going to have to move this car."

"I will sir just let me call my wife and tell her to meet me somewhere else." The man told the officer.

"I'll be watching." The police officer said before walking back to his car.

The man didn't even bother to act like he was making a call and drove out of the parking garage that gave him the perfect view of his next target. He only had a few more minutes till his next project was finished and he wanted to see it completed. Deciding against his better judgment he pulled into a McDonalds not far from it and gave him the perfect view of the mall but it still wasn't as perfect as the parking garage.

He ordered a meal so he could stay in the store and watch without getting snapped at by all the soccer moms wanting to sit down and gossip about the mothers that were not there with them. He rolled his eyes at them. They all acted like best friends when they were together but were stabbing each other's backs when they were apart.

"_She's seriously expects me to forgive her for sleeping with my husband when I filed for divorce not even twenty for hours after I found out. Please." _he heard one woman say.

He couldn't stand to hear their conversation anymore but he had to stay if he wanted to see his project to be finished. He would have to make himself suffer from their stupid mind numbing conversation.

_Dumme Frauen, die nicht um ihren Männern kümmern können. _He said to himself. _Ich beende sie, wenn ich muß._

He was very much like his father in that fact that they both thought that woman today had too much freedom even if they were married.

Ich beende, was Sie Vater begannen. He said to himself looking at the sky.

_**TRANSLATIONS**_**:**

**1.) Dumme Frauen, die nicht um ihren Männern kümmern können. **

Stupid women, who can care not for their men

**2.) Ich beende sie, wenn ich muß.**

I terminate it, if I must

**3.) Ich beende, was Sie Vater begannen**

I terminate, which you began father

**please let me know if the german is off. I put them together using a library dictionary of the language.**

**Please leave a review.**


	15. Chapter15: One Fine Pillow

"**Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow."**

**Author Unknown**

Derek had only been back at the station for a few seconds when Garcia called him and told him about a bomb threat at a local mall and that the treat was high.

"Hotch it Morgan. We've got a bomb threat at the Westfield Mall*****." Derek told him.

"How big of a threat is it?" Hotch asked instantly.

"Umm… they've all ready found a bomb." Derek replied.

"I want you to meet up with Don and evacuate the mall as fast as you can without causing mass panic."

"Got it Hotch." Derek said hanging up.

Derek had walked back up the stairs into the station. He walked passed Megan who was going home for the night to prepare for her move to New York which wouldn't happen until this case was closed. He passed Prentiss and Reid at the coffee machine. And found Don talking to Colby and David about what to do.

"You talking about the Westfield mall?" Derek asked.

"Yeah why?"

"Hotch thinks we should evacuate the place as fast as we can then start looking for more bombs." Derek said.

"That's what Colby was saying." Don said grabbing his jacket.

The three men climbed in one SUV and headed for the Westfield mall. It was about twenty minutes away but thirty with traffic and another ten because of a three car pileup on the free way an hour earlier.

"Finally we are here. Now I need to find the security office and Derek since you have _bomb _squad I want you to head to this store." He said handing Derek a piece of paper. "And check everything out there. Colby I want you to go and check the stores around the one I have Derek going to."

"Got it." Derek and Colby said going in separate directions.

_**~*!*~**_

It took Derek ten minutes to get to _Country Fair Attire_. Derek could tell even before he reached the store that it would be a country/western themed shop. It was already shut down when he got there. Derek could hear customers arguing with the employees.

"Excuse me ma'am I was told you were having some trouble." Derek said flashing his badge where the customers couldn't see it.

"Sure. Just let me see these customers out."

"I'll be waiting in the back room. It's through that door right?" Derek said.

"Yes."

Derek waited ten minutes while the woman made sure every single customer was out of the store and locked the doors so no one else could come in. He (for lack of a better term) perked up when the woman entered the back room.

"Can you explain finding the bomb to me?"

"I went to clean out the dressing room after the fifth person told me it was still cluttered. I'm normally at the register and don't mess with these rooms until the end of the day. I came into room three and started to pick up the clothing in there. I went to pick up the last shirt and it caught on the edge of the bench and it mad the top slip off and the bomb was tucked inside the base of it. I covered it back up and locked the room so it couldn't be used. I called the FBI right after I found it."

"You did good ma'am." Derek told her. "You can go wait in the back room. I have to make a call before I ask you any more questions."

"Sure." The woman shakily replied.

"He Don I need two bomb squad members with the training to dismember a time sensitive bomb." Derek said.

_**~*!*~**_

Don hung up his phone after his call with Derek and hurried up and called the Bomb Squad. He hoped they listened and only send two people with their equipment disguised as repair tools. He had hoped that the bomb was a fake but the call from Derek had dashed that hope. He called Colby and told him to rush the search for another bomb and to start having the people evacuate.

"Don. I have checked the whole of the second floor. I'm going to check the third floor then go on to the first floor and then the basement."

"Alright keep on going and if you have to then get some help from patrol officers even the mall security _and get people out as fast as you can._" Don replied whispering the last part.

"Got it." Colby replied.

Don continued on to the security office. He had been told three different ways of getting to the office and so far none of them have been right. He found a security officer and stopped them.

"I need you to take me to the security office and now." He told the man.

"I'm sorry I can't just let anyone go in there."

"I am with the FBI." Don said flashing his badge.

"I guess I can show you where to go." The man said paling slightly.

"Well come on show me." Don said.

The security office was in a small room on the north side of the mall where stores pay their rent if they are just renting. The room was split up into three. The man lobby area, the security office and another office he didn't bother reading the door of.

"Excuse me but I need to speak with whoever is in charge here?"

"I am." said a portly man.

_**~*!*~**_

The man still sat in the McDonalds booth he had claimed hours before. It would be any minute now that his project would go off without a hitch. He was getting twitchier as the time got closer. He could make it happen sooner if he really wanted to but he chose the particular time for a reason and he wanted to keep to his plan. He had to keep to his plan otherwise they (meaning the government) would find him out and that could NOT happen. _No that just could not happen_ he mumbled to himself like he had been for the past few hours. He had been looking out the window when a news report caught his attention:

_A woman with red hair tied back in a bun and wearing a blue business suit and holding a microphone had started to speak. "We are here at the Westfield mall. Were a bomb suspected to be connected with the bombings that have been happening in recent weeks has been found. The FBI is on the scene looking for any other bombs that may be one the scene while they evacuate the mall."_

_Dam _the man muttered as the woman on the television continued to talk and gesture to the large building that was behind her. He couldn't see any FBI so he didn't know how aware of his plans they were. He pulled the cell phone from his jacket pocket with his hand. The cell phone it's self was your basic blackberry and he placed his fingers on the speed dial buttons that corresponded with a different cell phone numbers to four different phones attached to four different bombs that he could make go off all at the same time or one at a time. He chose to do it all at once.

_**~*!*~**_

Penelope Garcia was getting frustrated. She had been searching for hours and still hadn't found a single thing criminally bad on Jim Myers other than him beating on his son Christopher who might not even be his son in the first place. He wasn't even German from what she found. She finally gave up and decided to call Derek and tell him that she couldn't find anything on him.

"_Hey Baby girl I can't really talk right now."_

"I just called to say that I didn't find anything on Jim Myers other than his beatings on Chris." Penelope said tossing her feather pen down.

"_And you of course looked through everything?" Derek asked._

"Yes the guy is Jewish. He was born in Israel and latter adopted by Lucy and Aaron Myers when he was two."

"_If he is Jewish then why is his name Jim?"_

"The Lucy and Aaron changed it when they adopted him." She said glancing at her television. "Is what they are saying on CNN true?"

"_If you are talking about a bomb being found at a shopping mall in California then they are telling the truth." Derek replied._

"Are you there?" She asked.

"_Yes I am at the scene. Hotch is at the hospital with Chris and the rest of the team is at the station." He explained._

"What about Don's team?"

"_Only Don and Colby are with me but we are not together at the moment." Derek said his voice sounding stressed._

"Derek why is your voice sounding tense?"

"_I'm right by the bomb." He reluctantly said._

"Exactly how close are you?" she asked.

"_A bout ten feet away at the mo…"_

There was an explosion that hurt Penelope's ears and she was only on the phone. She kept on screaming Derek's name but he wouldn't answer and the CNN video had gone black but the in studio people had continued to talk.

***I made this name up and it will be used frequently. I don't know if is a real mall or not but I mean no harm. I was going to use my older brother's former best-friends last name but I couldn't spell it right no matter how hard I tried. And also sorry for the ending. It was teh only way I could get it to come out the way I wanted anyother way and the story would have ended in like three four chapters.**

**Maye**


	16. Chapter16: Exposion of Stupidity

"_**The greatest danger of bombs is in the explosion of stupidity that they provoke."**_

_**Octave Mirbeau**_

_There was an explosion that hurt Penelope's ears and she was only on the phone. She kept on screaming Derek's name but he wouldn't answer and the CNN video had gone black but the in studio people had continued to talk. _After about ten minutes of screaming –thought it hadn't been that loud- Penelope was frozen in place watching the black screen that had been CNN. The whole team was in California and here she was stuck in Virginia where she couldn't do a thing to help. Even when there was a knock on her office door she didn't answer. Heck she didn't even answer when someone spoke to her she was just frozen in fear a place she hadn't been in when since she was eighteen years old and her parents had just died.

"Penelope?" a voice asked her from behind.

She didn't more or make a single acknowledgement that she had heard them. She just continued to stand there and stare at the blank screen. She didn't even flinch when a man stood in front of her. It was Sam Cooper the head of another team.

"Penelope." He called again.

She didn't say a thing but she did move closer to her monitor that had CNN on it had started to flicker. _'We are sorry to report that a Westfield Mall in California was attached today shortly after our cameras in the area had stopped working.'_ The woman news woman reported in a stiff non-caring manner. '_We do not know the extent of the damage but will update you as soon as we can.'_

"Derek was in that Mall." Penelope finally said coming un-frozen. "I can't remember who else was there but I know he was. I was talking to him when the thing went off."

"Penelope you need to calm down and confirm where the rest of them are and make sure they are okay. Derek could be fine." Sam said.

"He said he was ten feet away." Penelope countered. "How could he not be hurt?"

"It could have been a small blast that knocked him off his feet along with the phone out of his hand." Sam said. "I came to tell you that Miss high and mighty also known as Chief Strauss ordered my team out to help."

"Actually Mr. Cooper it will only be you that goes to California. There have been a string of murders in south Florida and your team is the only one on had to help. And you Miss. Garcia should be working to find out where the rest of Agent Hotchner's team is." Strauss said upon entering the room.

"You Ms. Strauss should show a little more sympathy. Penelope just on the phone with Derek Morgan when the bomb went off she would be a little bit shaken even if he wasn't her friend." Sam said.

"If you want to keep on working for this unit then you should watch what you say to me Mr. Cooper. Now get to California like I told you too." Strauss said before leaving the room.

Penelope didn't say a thing to Strauss but did say good bye while to Sam before he left. She had heard rumors going around the office that he was planning to retire. She already had a gift planed in her mind if she ever found it to be true.

She left her office just to get coffee when she had to rush to answer her ringing phone.

"Garcia." She greeted.

"Pen its J.J."

"Oh thank god you are all right." Garcia said. "What about the rest of the team?"

"Everyone has reported back except Colby and Derek."

"Hotch and I are one our way to the scene right now to deal with the media and check in with Don to see what he knows." J.J. told her.

"Morgan was ten feet away from the bomb at least when it went off." Garcia said. "I was on the phone with him when it went off. I called his name but he didn't answer."

"Hotch and I will look for him. He probably lost his footing or had the phone knocked out of his hand." J.J. said.

"Sam Cooper said that to me before Strauss ordered him to California to help you." Garcia replied.

"I know he just called Hotch to let him know. Garcia I got to go we are at the Mall and if you can try and get all the security footage you can from every angle you can. Looking through the footage might give you the ability to find Derek where ever he is."

"I call and let you know what I find." Garcia replied without her usual happy good bye.

She immediately went to work hunting down all the video she could. She able to get video from a few of the cameras located near Derek when the Bomb went off but it was low quality because of the bomb. It was because of the low quality of it that she couldn't tell if Derek was okay or not. She took the video she had of Derek and sent it to the whole team and told them to be on the lookout for footage of Colby after she was done sorting it.

A knock at Penelope's door startled her. She turned to the door and hollered come in so the person on the other side could hear her.

"Hey Pen."

"Olivia what are you doing here? With Jane no less."

"I couldn't stay home not knowing about Spencer. I tried calling you but it didn't work. I just needed to know if he was alright."

"He's fine. It's Derek that the team and I are worrying about." Garcia told her.

"Why what happen to him?" Olivia asked.

"He was roughly ten feet away from the bomb when it went off." Garcia explained to her. "I can't even get a good video to find where he is. Hotch and J.J. are there at the Mall now"

~!~

Derek Morgan was tired and in pain (though he would never admit that to anyone). He had landed hard on the tile floor of the mall about twenty feet from where he had started. He tried to stand up but couldn't because a large slab of concrete had made his legs their new bed.

Derek had lifted his head up a little bit so he could look around himself for something that could help him lift the slab off of him; he saw nothing but rubble and his now broken cell phone among it. Most likely too far damaged for him to attempt a call or text to get help.

He groaned as a shooting pain shoot through his right leg. It did not really bother him that he was in pain because he thought as long as he was feeling pain in his legs they were fine. The pain got worse whenever he moved even if it was just the slightest adjustment. He slammed his hands down on the floor beside him in frustration.

"Derek." Someone called.

"Over here." Derek yelled back at them.

"Derek its Colby; how are you doing? My path to you is blocked." Colby said.

"I'm pinned under slab of concrete. I can still feel my legs though." Derek took a pause to breathe and push the pain back for a bit longer. "I would say the pain is about eight or seven depending on how I move."

"Alright is there anyone in view of you?" Colby asked.

"No I can't see anything but rubble." Derek replied.

"Derek you are going to have to stay still until we can get a team in here to get you out." Colby said.

"Just please hurry. I don't know how much longer I can stay awake." Derek told him.

"Don't worry we'll get you out." Colby said before rushing to get the team in the mall.

It didn't take long for Derek to succumb to sleep no matter how hard he fought it. He only knew that he had fallen asleep because when he woken up when he heard loud banging. It was the machines they were using to move the rubble ever so slowly so they didn't cause a collapse.

"Alright we've only got this last piece to move so we can get to him and get him out." Derek had heard one of them say a few short minutes later. It was another fifteen minutes until they had the hunk of rubble moved far enough that they could get through to Derek and whoever else might be alive.

"How you feeling Derek?" A paramedic asked.

"Fine. The pain is getting worse." Derek replied through gritted teeth.

"One a scale of one to ten with ten being the worst."

"TEN." Derek replied.

"I'm going to give you an IV and some pain med to start so they can get this hunk of concrete off of you." The paramedic said rummaging through his kit looking for the right fitting and meds.

"I'm going to inject the pain medication now."

Derek nodded and was relieved when he felt a warmth wash over him as the pain medication had started to take over. His breathing which had started to become rushed had slowed back down to normal.

"Can we get going?" a firefighter asked.

"Just let me get out of the way." The paramedic replied grabbing his bag and the IV hooked up to Derek before hurrying to move out of the way.

Derek continued to watch the men work as two firefighters brought in the Jaws of Life to push the slab up off of Derek but they had warned him that it could take a long time to move because they didn't want to cause a collapse. Once they had it put under the small opening they started it up and let he slap rise a few inches.

"Can you move your legs?" one of the firefighters asked.

"Not much." Derek said. "But the pain has lessened a little bit."

The firefighter turned back to the Jaws of Life and had it raise the slab of concrete a few more inches. Derek still couldn't move his legs free. The process of raising the slab and seeing if Derek could move happened six more times before Derek was free of the concrete slab.

"Alright bring in the back board." The paramedic called. "Now Derek I want you to tuck in your arms. It will be easier to get you on the board that way."

Derek gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"You are headed straight to the hospital from here." The paramedic told him.

"I gathered that much."

"We are going to lift him up in three." The paramedic said after making sure he was strapped down.

Derek had fallen asleep from the effects of the pain medication.

~!~

A few hours later Derek woke up in the hospital. He had one arm covered in a bandage and a leg in a cast. He had a few other scrapes and bruises but noting that was life threatening. There was no one from the team in his room. He looked around and grabbed the phone they had beside the bed. He dialed the one number he knew would want to know how he was doing.

"Penelope Garcia speaking." Garcia answered.

"Garcia it's me." He stopped to cough. "Derek."

"Where are you?" Garcia asked.

"The hospital. I got out of… well I don't know when I got out."

Penelope then launched into several questions about how he was doing and things like that and had even told him that two bodies had been found not far from him. Derek knew that those bodies belonged to the two bomb squad members.

_Dam_ he thought to himself.

"Baby girl I am fine. I couldn't call you while I was stuck inside the Mall. I lost my phone when the blast went off. I got to go the doctor's here." Derek said when a man appeared in the door way.

**please leave a review. i would like to have three**


	17. Chapter17: MakingFriendsDestroysEniemes

"**Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"**

**Abraham Lincoln**

Penelope had just hung up with her call from Derek when Reid had called her. She did think anyone else from the team would call her until they were sure Derek was okay and she had gotten the feeling while talking to Derek that none of them had visited or called him while he was awake.

"All right my little genius what do you need?" Garcia asked.

"I need you to look up all white four door older ford models with the license plate that starts GH2 the witness says that it was made in either in ninety five or earlier." He told her.

"I will send the results to you when I get them." Garcia said.

"Is that Reid?" Olivia asked coming back into the room.

Penelope gave her a nod. "Olivia just walked in do you want to say hello while you can?" she rushed before Reid could hang up.

"Penelope no you need to work." Olivia protested she had just wanted to know if it was Spencer.

"Just talk to him for a few seconds." Garcia counterd. "You know you want to."

"Fine," Olivia said giving up and taking the phone. "Spencer; Hi."

"Umm… Hi what are you doing in Garcia's office?" he asked. "I thought you had class."

"I finished early, and I went home to watch TV when I turned it on the channel showing was CNN she saw the explosion and started freaking out. I was too but I stayed calm enough to get us here to Penelope. I figured that she could tell me what was going on." Olivia explained."

"Oh. Well…" Reid said.

"I know you have to go but could you at least call Jane tonight before she goes to bed."

"Sure. What time?" Reid asked.

"Well she goes to bed at eight which means it would be about five for you." Olivia said.

"We usually stop to eat about that time so should be able to."

"Bye." Olivia said.

"Bye Olivia."

Olivia handed the phone back to Garcia after she had hung up with Reid.

"Don't worry Liv they'll come home." Garcia said trying to calm her down.

"I know but I miss him."

"I do to. In fact I miss the whole team."

"I should go home and get Jane fed so she could be ready for when Spencer calls."

"You better let me know when you get home safe and sound and not a second later." Penelope said.

"I will." Olivia told her. "Come on Jane we are going home now."

"Where's Spencer?" the little girl asked.

"He's still working but he said he would call before you go to bed." Olivia said picking her up. "Bye Pen."

"Bye Liv. Don't forget to call."

Olivia just smile as she walked away. Finding out that Penelope was her sister over a year ago was shocking but she was glad to have a sister let alone a sister that would treat her like a sister even if they weren't sisters.

~!~

The man who had taken a seat at the MacDonald's just a cross the road from the Westfield mall and it enormous parking lot was beyond happy at the results. He would have started dancing around with glee if he hadn't been in a public restaurant sounded by people.

He slipped the small remote he used to set the bombings off back into his pocket. He only slipped it back out when he threw it away along with his trash. He would have liked to keep it as a souvenir but it had to be thrown away.

Walking outside the man could see smoke rising from the mall. _It's a shame it didn't come falling down._ He thought to himself while walking out side. He could tell fire trucks and ambulances were there because he could see their flashing lights.

He would have to ditch the car he figured it would have been spotted by now. It was a very average car but it was an older car and not many people in this area drove cars older that 2000 unless they were the classic cars like a '57 Chevy or something similar.

After dumping his car in an empty but secluded parking lot thirty of forty miles away the man walked down to a bar. The bar only had a few people in it. He sat down at the bar and motioned to the female bartender that he would like to order.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"Irish Höhler" the man replied.

The woman left to fill his order. He took a look around while he waited.

"You are lucky we were down to our last bottle." The woman said putting the glass down in front of him.

The man mumbled thanks before taking a pull of his whiskey and looking around the bar again. While he was thanking her he noticed that a couple had walked in. They didn't really look like a couple. The guy looked too young to even be in a bar and the woman looked uncomfortable. He looked away from them and back to his empty glass. He had the bartender refill it.

"He can you turn that up." The guy asked the bartender.

"Sure." The bartender said.

'_We here at channel four news regret to inform you that attack on Westfield Mall today resulted in the deaths of two men. Both men were part of the LAPD Bomb Squad unit. There are a few men and women they were employed at the mall that are still missing.'_

"Derek is going to take that Hard." The uncomfortable woman said.

"You know someone that was there?" The bartender asked.

"Our partner was there."

"Partner?" The bartender said with raised eyebrows.

"We are FBI."

"Oh sorry. The kid just doesn't look old enough to be FBI."

"I am twenty eight."

"You barely look seventeen."

"Should see him after hard day's work he really starts to look his age then." The female agent said.

**_PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW._**


	18. Chapter18: Stand Frim

"**Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm."**

**Abraham Lincoln**

**OLIVIA**

Olivia had stopped by Jane's favorite pizza place and picked one up. It had to be reheated because Jane fell asleep on the way home. After getting home Olivia shook Jane awake so she could get the girl inside the house. The wind had started to blow hard causing both girls to shiver from it. Not wanting Jane to get sick Olivia told her to run into the foyer of the apartment building while she got the pizza and locked the car.

"Alright let's get inside. I want you fed and bathed when Spencer calls." Olivia said.

"Spencer's calling?"

"Yes he is and like I said I want you fed and bathed by the time he calls."

Jane hadn't even stopped to say something to Olivia as she ran around the kitchen getting the things she and Olivia needed to eat like plates and cups and setting them on the table. Finally she ran to the refrigerator and opened it. "What do you want to drink?" she had asked.

"Just sprite if we have it at all."

"We only have two left." Jane said sitting them down on the table.

"We need to go shopping for food sometime this week but we don't need to worry about that now." Olivia said sitting down in a chair.

The two of them ate in peaceful silence –well on Olivia's side of it anyway. Jane had continued to laugh and tell jokes to the always listening Olivia who had nothing better to do but would still be there even if she did have something better to do.

"Are you done?" Olivia asked.

Jane nodded her head yes.

"Well let's you get cleaned up."

"I can do it. I know how."

"Be careful and keep the water in the tub. It was like walking in a creak the last time I let you do it yourself and be careful not to slip." Olivia called after Jane.

Olivia heard the water turn on; then the splashes of water as Jane added her toys to the water before she had climbed in and then the sloshing of the water as she moved around in the tub and played with the Barbie's she had tossed in.

Olivia took Jane's bath time to relax a little bit but not much because she always had to keep an ear out for Jane and she always would especially after the year they have had. The only way she would want to do it again is if it meant that Jane would always be safe and sound and that would always be her first priority even above Spencer and she loved him to death.

"Olivia." Jane hollered.

"What do you need?" Olivia asked running to the bathroom.

"I need my hair washed and I can't do that myself; we don't have that No Tear shampoo." Jane said.

"It is okay. You can use mine." Olivia said as she grabbed the bottle of shampoo from the shelf. "No come over here so I can wash your hair."

Jane obeyed and scooted over in front of Olivia. Olivia put a small amount of the shampoo into the girl's hair. She grabbed a cup sitting on the side of the bathtub and filled it up with water so she could wash the soap out. It took five minutes to get the soap out.

"Okay you can play a little bit longer if you want but it's almost eight and that's when Spencer is supposed to call."

"I'll get out now." Jane told her.

"Well when you put your pajamas on come in to the living room."

Ten minutes later Jane came walking into the living room in her pink footie pajamas. She was dragging a green blanket behind her with a gray stuffed elephant in her other hand. She climbed up onto the couch beside Olivia and waited for the phone to ring. It wasn't much longer until Spencer had called but Jane was asleep.

"Hey, I was able to get a few spare minutes." Spencer said after they both said hello.

"That's nice but Jane fell asleep waiting for you to call. I guess she was sleepier than I thought." Olivia told him.

"Is she sound asleep?" Spencer asked.

"Yes she is." Olivia had said. "I tried waking her up but once she is asleep she's…"

"Dead to the world." Spencer said. "But that leaves me with more time to talk to you." Spencer told her.

"I guess so. Hey have you heard any more about Derek? Garcia hasn't called me to say a thing but I'm guessing that' is because of regulations and that she herself doesn't know."

"I have and he is fine. His leg is a little banged up but nothing else. I don't know anything else because I haven't been up to see him." Spencer said.

"What have you been doing?"

"I have been chasing down a car with Emily."

"How did that go?" Olivia asked.

"We found the car we were looking for but it was abandon in an empty parking lot. We just got back from looking at it."

"That sucks." Olivia said stifling a yawn.

"It does because we also think the car was stolen but we haven't heard back from Garcia on that yet." Spencer replied.

"Well tell her I said goodnight when you hear from her." Olivia said to him fighting off another yawn.

"I will and I am going to let you go. You sound tired and you need to get Jane into bed" Reid told her.

"Goodnight." Olivia said.

"Night," Spencer said before hanging up.

Olivia took the phone and put it back into its cradle. After doing so Olivia went back to the couch and picked Jane up and took her to her room. She pulled back the Princess Belle bed covers and laid her down.

She went through the house turning off the lights and making sure all the doors and windows were locked. She went to bed as soon as she was done; her sleep would not come easily it never ever did when ever Spencer was on a really bad case like the one he was on now. So most of the time -after three hours of trying to sleep- she would end up reading a book and not the ones that Spencer likes to read those were too long for her taste. The books that she tended to read were the ones she had to read for her criminology classes. Spencer didn't know what degree she was going for but she liked that it was a secret.

**SPENCER**

Spencer Reid had just hung up with Olivia when Emily Prentiss came running in.

"Garcia just called me. The car was reported stolen a week ago by Dylan Carey." Emily told him.

"Should we go talk to him?"

"Yes because that is where we are going to now." Emily said. "Read this on the way." She added tossing a file toward him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"That is the police report on the stolen car. Complete with Mr. Carey's statement along with his parent's statements." Emily told him.

"Okay so this guy still lives with his parents."

"Considering that he is sixteen yes he still lives with his parents."

"Then why didn't they report the car missing."

"I don't know but my guess would be because it's his car. He bought and paid for it himself."

"What average sixteen year old could do that?" Spencer asked.

"You could have if you knew how to drive at that point."

"But I wasn't the average sixteen year old. I had already been in college three years by that point." Spencer told her.

"Yes and you will never be average. I think that's what Olivia likes about you."

"It's not." Spencer said.

"How would you know and please do not tell me you asked her." Prentiss said.

"No she had told me."

"Okay what does she like about you then? What _pulled_ her in?" Prentiss asked.

"I don't want to say." Reid replied.

"Come on it can't be that bad." Prentiss said getting a look at Reid's red tinted face.

"I don't want to tell you." Reid said.

"I could just call Garcia. Olivia probably told her with Garcia being her sister and all." Prentiss told him.

"You are evil." Reid said.

"Tell me."

"My eyes." Reid relented turning even redder.

"What about your eyes? Come on I know there is more to it." Prentiss said. "It wasn't the whole window to your soul thing was it?"

"No it wasn't." Reid said.

"Then what was it?" Prentiss asked him.

"She could see kindness in them. A kindness that she didn't see in anybody else's eyes."Reid told her.

"Even Morgan's?"

"Even Morgan's." Reid stated.

"Well at least she didn't say it was another body part that isn't visible." Prentiss said with a smirk.

"We haven't even gotten to that point. You are just as bad as Garcia when you want to be." Reid exclaimed.

"I spend most of my time off alone or with her and J.J." Prentiss said. "We are here."

"Which house? There are two houses but one drive way."

"The one with the yellow door." Prentiss said pointing to the house.

"Let's go." Reid said walking up to the house in question.

Prentiss caught up with him after locking the SUV. She reached out her hand and knocked on the door after she couldn't find a doorbell.

"Coming." A female voice said from the other side of the door. "Hello."

"Hi ma'am I am Agent Prentiss and this is Dr. Reid we are from the FBI we'd like to talk to your son about his car." Prentiss asked.

"That car was reported stolen."

"We know ma'am we found it and we think it might have been used in connection with at least one of the recent bombings."

"Did my son have something to do with it?"

"No ma'am the bombings we are referring to didn't happen until after the car was reported stolen." Prentiss said. "We would like to hear about what happen in his own words and not the police report."

"He was at baseball practice but he should be home any minute. You can wait if you would like." The woman told them.

"Sure." Prentiss said.

"I'll show you to the family room then." The woman said stepping back and opening the door further so the two agents could walk in.

"You can wait in here. I have to finish dinner for my family."

"That's fine it will give us more time to go over the police file." Reid said.

The two agents only had just under fifteen minutes to go over the file before Dylan had come home.

"Mom I home." He yelled after entering the house.

"In the kitchen." Mrs. Carey called to him.

Prentiss and Reid could hear the boy's steps down the hallway toward the kitchen and family room. He walked into the family room where Reid and Prentiss had been seated.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm Agent Prentiss and this is Dr. Reid. We wanted to talk to you about your car." Prentiss said.

"I reported it…"

"Stolen we know but we wanted to get your story from you and not the police report." Reid said.

"Dylan it's okay. Tell them what you know. You are not in trouble." Mrs. Carey said.

"Okay so where do you want me to start?" Dylan asked.

"From the beginning when you noticed your car was gone or you saw someone getting into your car that shouldn't have." Prentiss said.

"Well the car was taken while I was at the mall with my friends Jake and Emery. We had left the mall for a little be to get food from somewhere other than the food court. I saw someone looking at my car but once I started walking toward it they ran. I never did get a good look at them." He paused for a second. "We went back to the mall to catch a movie. We were going to leave the mall after the movie but my car was gone nowhere in sight."

"What do you remember about the person looking at your car before it was taken?" Reid asked.

"He was about average height, over weight with skin that looked like it was tan."

"What about hair color?"

"I couldn't tell if he even had any hair. Because of the blue cap he was wearing."

"Did you see any one that seemed to be following you that day?" Prentiss asked.

"No I was with my friends so I was kind of relaxed the whole time but I'm sure you could ask them if they felt anything." Dylan said.

"Could you write down all the friends you were with that day?"

"Sure." Dylan said taking the notepad Prentiss was holding out.

"Even the ones that didn't go to the mall?" he asked.

"Yes because we don't know what they did see and what they didn't see." Prentiss told him.

Dylan wrote down the names in minutes after remembering them. "I put their addresses on there also."

"That was a very good idea." Prentiss told him.

**HOTCH**

Aaron Hotchner was watching the crowds that had formed behind the yellow crime scene tape barrier. It had started to rain earlier but stopped. The pavement was now glinting in certain spots because the sun had yet to dry them out. He had stayed away from the cameras and microphones that belonged to the reporters and walked around interviewing people that had been watching what was happening.

He would take glances at J.J. who stood in front of the small group of reporters making sure she was okay. He knew she was but he was always looking out for his team ever since Foyet he kept tabs on them just like he did and would continue to do on Jack as he got older.

"Excuse me sir can I talk to you?" a woman asked.

Hotch looked at the woman. She was shorter than average but by no means classified as a little person. She had short dark hair that seemed to be all over the place. Her skin was tanned from days spent in the sun.

"Sure."

"You are investigating that bombing right." She said in a whisper.

"Yes do you know something about it?" Hotch asked.

"Not really." She said.

"Then what did you want to tell me?" Hotch asked kind of rudely.

"I just wanted to tell you that I saw this white car peal out of the mall parking lot like a bat out of hell about an hour or so before the bombings."

"Thank you for letting me know ma'am. We have already gotten other reports from people describing a car doing what you described; do you know the make and model of the car you saw?" Hotch said to her.

"It was your average white four door sedan. I think it might have been a ford but I never did get that close of a look but I do know it was American made." The woman said.

"Thank you. Here is my card if you find yourself remembering something please give me a call and let me know." Hotch said handing her his card.

"I will." The woman told. She slipped the card out of his hand and walked away pushing her way through the crowd that had continued to watch.

When the woman was gone Hotch had turned around checking his surrounding once again. Hotch looked up from talking to the woman to J.J. who looked to be finishing up with the press conference she had set up so the rumors wouldn't get out of control. They had that happen on a plain old arson case a few years back before Prentiss and even Elle had joined the team and Gideon had his mental break down.

The BAU as a whole had a few other cases that had gotten close to that arson case but none of them got close or past in the horror the rumors caused. That case and changed the way they handled the rumors that went around while they were on any single case no matter how bad off the case might have been they were always handled the same way.

Hotch was pretty sure that this case would change how they do some things also. He just hoped that it wasn't Strauss that would be making the changes in regulations. She always liked to put her two cents in on how things should be run and lately they seemed to have been going along with her.

Colby and Don had come out of the mall just as J.J. had finished up. They didn't come near him they walked up to the fire chief and were speaking to him. Colby soon went back inside followed by a fire fighter who hadn't been in side yet and looked a little green like he was new to this whole thing. Don had walked away from the fire chief and made a call on his cell phone.

Looking away from Don he watched as J.J. had walked over to him when she was done with all the rabid reporters and their cameras.

**J.J.** had been at the scene of the bombing for a few hours now. There wasn't much damage done to the outside of the building only a few windows were blown out. Most damage was on the inside of the building where the bomb or bombs had gone off.

"Jenifer Juneau I'm with the FBI and I am here to answer any questions you may have." J.J. told the crowd.

"_Was this attack a terrorist attack?" one man asked._

"We do not know at the moment. We have several leads we are looking into." J.J. told him.

"_How many victims are there?" a woman asked._

"So far only three. I regret to say that only one of those three survived."

"_How many bombs where there?" another reporter asked her._

"That information has not been released to me." J.J. said. "Sorry but that is all I have at this time." She added walking away from the crowd of reporters and photographers to Hotch standing twenty feet away.

"Touch crowd?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah. You find anything new?" J.J. said.

"Not much. Colby is looking around with some others for bomb parts they found a few pieces they think could be a part of one."

"Derek would be doing that if he was here."

"Yeah he would but he has to stay in the hospital. I think Garcia's threat to him made it clear that he better stay until the doc says it's okay for him to leave." Hotch said.

"She did that when I had Henry." J.J. told him.

"That does not surprise me. Here comes Don and Colby." Hotch said.

"We still have people searching the blast sites for bomb part but all the larger pieces have been found and are now being sent to the lab for chemical testing to be done. The pieces will then be put back together so they could be dusted for finger print." Don said after walking up. "Colby is going to ride back with them for chain of evidence purposes."

"We'll head back to the office and see what Prentiss and Reid found." Hotch told Don.

"I'm going to stay here and watch over everything. I still have to get all the security videos from the surrounding businesses."

"I thought Garcia already got them." J.J. said.

"I'm referring to the ones that are not inside the mall building its self but the parking lot and beyond that if their cameras have a view of the Mall we need all the point of views that we can get inside and outside the mall." Don said.

**COLBY**

Colby had walked back into the Westfield Mall he had been here the day before getting a gift for a friend and his wife and their new baby. He could have gone to a Wal-mart or someplace like it. The mall he knew would be closed for some time for the repairs that would need to be done and the investigation that would take some time also.

Colby watched as the crime scene investigators milled around looking for bomb pieces. Most of the bigger pieces had been found catalogued and put away until they were to be taken to the lab where they would be ran through all kinds of test from chemical to finger printing. After all the testing was done and over with they would be reconstructed to see if a signature could be found and if one was found that would get them one step closer to whoever was making them even if they were not the ones setting them off.

"I think I've found a detonator." A woman called.

Colby walked over to her. She was dressed in black pants and white shirt and a navy blue jacket with 'Police' written on the back. She was bent over a block of melted plastic. A yellow plastic tent was sitting near it while she took photographs of it. He squatted down next to the girl.

"Your new right?" he asked.

"Yes." The woman replied continuing with taking pictures.

"Okay can you tell me why you think this is a detonator and not just a cell phone or some other form of melted plastic?" Colby said.

"Normally I would just say it was a timing device of some kind because of the display screen but there are small buttons below that screen which indicate that it is a cell phone." the woman said. "And I had a phone like this up until I got an upgrade two weeks ago."

"Do you still have the phone or did you recycle it?" Colby asked.

"I still have it as a backup in case my new one takes a dive in to water or get's damaged some other way. My name is Callie by the way." The woman said.

"Well you did a good job Callie but I would like you to bring your old phone in so we can examine it to see if the suspect made any modifications to it." Colby told her.

"I'll drop it off later tonight." Callie said. "Do you have an address of where I should drop it off? I don't know where the lab is and I know that the lab and FBI building's are separate."

"You know where the FBI is?" Colby asked.

"Yes." Callie said.

"Then just drop it off there." Colby said to her. "Better yet just tell them that Agent Colby Granger told you to drop it off you should bring your ID just in case."

"I all ways do." Callie said.

Callie slipped the melted chunk of plastic that she suspected to be a cell phone into a plastic evidence bag before sealing it in. She took the sealed bag and placed it in a box with a few other sealed bags of varying sizes.

"Agent Granger." A male voice called.

Colby turned his attention from Callie to the direction of the voice. A man older than himself dressed similar to Callie except he had a blue shirt on. He had something long and thin in his glove covered hands. If it was metal, plastic, glass or paper Colby didn't know but he highly doubted that it was the last two.

Colby walked over to him so he could get a better look. He squatted down like he did over by Callie. The object in the man's hands looked like it was metal but it could have been disguised somehow.

"What'd you got?"

"I'm not sure. It doesn't look like anything that goes to the stores display but it also looks to odd and complete to be part of the bomb and if it is I don't think it is a working part." The man said.

"You right Quinn it could be part of the bomb and if it doesn't serve a working purpose then it is part of the signature." Colby told the man.

"How did you know…"

"Your name is on your ID badge which I can see clear as day." Colby said.

"I'll let you know if I find any more pieces like this. I don't think I will find any because it's a pretty large relatively undamaged piece." Quinn said.

"Just pack them up properly and make sure you catalogue them like you should."

"I'm the boss I have to other wise those that are below me wouldn't do it." Quinn said.

Colby got up and walked away from the older man. He looked around the debris field that was in his line of vision. He knew there were other crime scene techs on the upper floors checking out the damage there and collecting any evidence that may have been there. He figured that's where David was unless he went back to the office with J.J. and Hotch but he didn't know. He had arrived on the scene a few minutes after J.J. a Hotch had.

A few minutes later Colby made his way back outside. The sun was out now and had already dried any rain puddles that had been there. He saw Don who was talking to the fire chief about something really animatedly (on the fire chief's part). He slowly walked up to them so he didn't disturb their conversation. He stood back and waited until they were finished before he tired to speak up but Don beat him to it.

"Hey Colby what did you find?" Don asked

"I didn't find anything but two crime techs did find two things that could help us." Colby told him.

"Like what?" Don asked.

"Well one of them found a chunk of melted plastic that she says looks like the same model of her old phone. I asked her to drop it off later. The second thing was a long thin plate of metal that got through the bombing relatively unscathed." Colby said.

"That metal plate seems odd. Couldn't have been part of a store's display?" Don asked.

"Nope. It's too small to be part of one. At least it looks too small to me." Colby said sitting down on the curb.

"Well were done here Colby we can go now." Don told him.

**GARCIA**

Penelope Garcia had woken up early the next morning. She had come home late the night before because of work. She only came home because Kevin said she needed to get some sleep if she wanted to keep working. She could hear the dripping of her coffee brewing as she got ready for work.

She heard the ding of a bell letting her know that her coffee was ready. She walked over and poured herself a cup before pouring a travel mug to go setting it aside as she finished the first cup she had poured. When she was done with that she grabbed her keys and her bag before grabbing the pink travel mug and heading out the door.

She made it to her car and made sure not to spill a drop as she climbed in. The car was her baby and was the most expensive thing she has bought next to her computer equipment. The color also reflected her colorful personality it also gave a little light to her day before and after she went to work. She pulled out of her space and drove her way to work.

It didn't take long though it seemed to take longer. It always did when the team was on a case that put them in danger so it was most if not all the time. She shook the horrifying memories away and out of her mind for the time being.

Nothing fazed her as she walked into the tall gray building. Looking at it got monotonous after awhile she would paint it a bright color if she was allowed to but alas she could not since she didn't want to get into trouble for vandalizing a federal building.

The small that Penelope did have upon her face faded when she saw Erin Strauss waiting in the lobby she did not look the least bit happy about anything. Instead of running a way like she wanted to Penelope walked over to her.

"Ms. Garcia." Strauss said.

"Strauss." Penelope greeted her. "Is there something that you needed?"

"No I am waiting for someone else." Strauss told her. "Go on now get to work." she added when Penelope didn't move.

Penelope didn't have to be told twice. She quickly walked away because running (away from the boss) in the lobby would look odd especially since the woman had not given her an order of any kind. Kevin was not far behind her and had slipped into the elevator behind her.

"Hey Pen." He greeted her.

"Hi Kevin. How did you Wilmington case go?" Penelope asked.

"It's closed. It turned out to be two different un-subs; kind of like your hollow man case a while back." Kevin told her.

"That case was creepy." Penelope said. "Well this is my stop." She added when the elevator doors opened up.

"Penelope; can we go out tonight? I really have to talk to you about something important."

"Sure. It could take my mind off the case for a few hours at least." Penelope said.

"See you after work." Kevin said kissing her on the cheek and diapering down the hallway.

Penelope went to her office and turned all her monitors on. She sat down in her chair and waited for someone to call in need of some kind of information. It didn't take long. Hotch had called her.

"What do you need boss man?" She had asked him.

"I need you to look up and see if any cars or any other vehicles were reported in what Reid thinks is the comfort zone." He replied.

"I get it to you when the list is finished." Garcia said.

Penelope had the list finished and put together and sent to Hotch and the rest of the team (minus Derek because he was in the hospital) within an hour of Hotch's call. And that was pretty much how here whole day went. Only a hand full of them were about similar murders that had happened in the area's that the other BAU teams had gone.

The end of the day was welcomed by Penelope. She had even made it out the door before Strauss could stop her. But Strauss hadn't been seen since that morning so Penelope didn't have a thing to worry about. After getting home she showered and changed for her date with Kevin. She had no clue why but she had a foreboding feeling about it. She shook the feeling off like she did ever other time and left for the restaurant she was to meet Kevin at.

Kevin was waiting outside for her. She smiled at him and took his arm when he offered it to her. They were seated in front of a window where they could watch the people walking by. Penelope didn't like feeling so open but she hadn't liked feeling closed in either so the open feeling was better than nothing.

The dinner passed with a few bits of quiet banter between herself and Kevin. She had noticed that his skin had paled slightly since the start of dinner. He had rung the napkin in his hands like he was trying to think of something.

"I… I have something I need to tell you." He told her.

"What is it? You aren't sick are you?" Penelope asked him.

"I got a job offer out in California." He said after taking a deep breath.

It was five minutes before Penelope finally said something.

"Oh, when do you leave?" Penelope asked.

"I leave at six in the morning for the interview." He replied.

"So you don't have the job yet?" Penelope asked.

"No but there are only two other people vying for the position and I really hope and think I'll get it." He told her. "I'll be living in California full time if I do get the job."

Penelope didn't say anything. She couldn't because she didn't know what to say at all. She opened her mouth several times to say something but no words had come out.

"Penny, are you okay?" Kevin asked.

"I'm fine. I haven't been feeling good all day. I just need some rest so I better get home. I'll call you tomorrow if I don't make it in."

"I can drive you home if you want me to." Kevin said.

"No thank you I can get myself home. I will let you know that I made it home safe." She replied.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Kevin said.

He walked Penelope out after paying the bill. She claimed into her car and slowly drove away.

**Please leave a review. I would Like three because I have two faves, six alerts and 31 hits and 27 visitors and I only got 1 review. If you like this story tell me I need to know. If you do not like it TELL me I would also like to know why you don't like it. SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.**

**Maye**


	19. Chapter19: Bring Them the Real Facts

"**I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."**

**Abraham Lincoln**

**PRENTISS**

Emily Prentiss stood back as she watched the crime techs go over the second stolen car they believed to be related to the bombings that have been happening although it had been a few days since the last one which was an attack on the Westfield Mall.

The car that they were looking at was a late model four door Chevy and gray in color. The only way that they knew it was connected to the bombing case was the materials left in the trunk making them all think that the guy was planning another attack. Another attack was a scary thought for all of them especially after what happen to Derek.

"We found three complete finger prints and dozens of partials." A gray haired man said.

"Thanks. Just make sure the car gets to the evidence lockers and the prints get sent to the lab for comparison." Prentiss told the man before walking up the hill from the car. She slipped into the standard black SUV (provided the FBI) and headed back to the office to see what the team had come up with. She decided to stop for coffee for the team figuring that Starbucks would have been better than the coffee that the police station offered.

She stopped at one that was on the corner. It didn't look very busy. There was couple sitting buy the window looking at a laptop computer that had pictures of houses on it. _Must be buying a house_ Prentiss thought. She walked up to the register which already had two people standing in line. She was second in line when she felt someone walk up behind her. She figured it was either a heavy set woman or a man from the heavy footsteps she heard.

She stepped up to the counter when it was finally her turn.

"What can I get you ma'am?" the barista asked.

"Five regular coffees and one with extra sugar," Prentiss replied.

"$20.36" the barista replied.

Prentiss handed over the money and turned around to wait for her order to be finished. She turned into Mick Rawson from the red cell team they worked with the previous year. They have worked cases that have crossed paths over the years.

"Mick," She exclaimed.

"Hello Emily." He replied.

"Your order is up." said the barista.

"I'm sorry I got to go." Emily said after turning to get the coffee.

Mick stepped up to the counter and ordered his coffee he tapped his foot nervously as he waited for it. He grabbed his coffee and went after Emily (who was slow getting to her car because of the coffee).

"Let me get that for you." He said when saw her trying to open the door with her hands full.

Emily just gave up and stepped back and let him pass to open her door. She set the coffee on the passenger seat and then climbed in.

"Can I ask what you are doing here because I know Strauss only sent Sam?" Prentiss said after closing her door.

"I'm not working for the FBI anymore." He said.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"I got shot pretty bad a few months back and I didn't get back to work as fast as Strauss wanted. So I quit before she could fire me." He replied. "It's not that I don't like working for the FBI I just can't stand working for Strauss."

"I quit at one time too."

"You quit?" Mick asked.

"Yep; Strauss wanted me to help her get rid of Hotch and I just didn't want to do that." Emily told him. "It was one our first cases after Gideon left and before Rossi arrived."

"It would have been a tough transition." Mick commented.

"It was nice seeing you again but I really have to go."

"I heard you had the bombing case. If _you need_ me call me." Mick said stepping back from the SUV.

Mick gave her a little wave as she pulled away from the curb. She could see him walking in the opposite direction. She knew J.J. would be laughing at her expense had she been in the car with her she always did after they had a run in with Mick and the other team.

The team was in the conference room going over files. Reid had the most in front of him. He was the fastest reader among them and he never forgot anything he read.

"Hey, Em your back," J.J. said.

"I got coffee." Emily said sitting down. "You'll have to add more surgery if you want it." She added to Reid handing him his cup. She then passed the rest of the team their cups.

"I know something else happened because I got a call fifteen minutes saying that you left." J.J. replied.

"There was a line when I got to the Starbucks." Emily said.

"It couldn't have been that long. Statistics say the…" Reid started to say.

"I know what the statistics say." Emily replied.

"No need to get snippy."

"Sorry but it is early morning and I haven't had my coffee yet," Emily replied to the group before walking over to the table that had the creamer sugar and other coffee condiments sitting atop it. J.J. walked over.

"Everything okay, you seem a little skittish." J.J. whispered.

"Oh I'm fine. I'll talk to you about it later." Emily replied.

"You better." J.J. said. "I want a good explanation."

"So what do we have?" Emily said sitting back down.

"Not much we have been going through these files until Sam gets back from seeing his contact." Hotch said.

"I ran into Mick." Emily said without thinking.

"Mick Rawson?" asked Rossi

"Yes. He doesn't work for the FBI anymore." Emily told them.

"I heard a rumor about six months ago that he quit." J.J. said.

"He did leave." Emily replied. "But it was because he couldn't stand the orders Strauss was giving him anymore."

The team stared blankly at her.

"What I ran into him waiting for coffee. I asked him what he was doing here because Strauss only sent Sam and that's when he told me about quitting." Emily said.

"Still can't believe he quit either." Sam said from the door way.

"Hey Sam," Emily greeted. "It's nice to see you again even under the circumstances."

"Same here and Aaron my contact said he did know anything at the moment but will contact me if he hears anything."

"That's better than nothing." Hotch said.

Emily couldn't help but notice the look the J.J. was giving her and knew that she would be interrogated later.

**UNSUB**

He knew he had to get out of town for the next couple of days. He couldn't plan another attack here anytime soon. He would have to focus his attention somewhere else. He would have to go to his next target earlier than he had planned.

He climbed out of the car he had stolen that morning. It was a powder blue Prius that he hated to drive but was his only option. He took the can of gas from the trunk and doused the car in it. He took one last drag on his cigarette and tossed it into the car. It was engulfed in flames in a matter of just a few seconds. He smiled in glee at the orange flames liking the dark blue sky.

The sound of sirens in the area caused him to run. He was only saddened that he couldn't stay and watch a while longer. He could always do it again in the next place he went where ever it was. From his spot on the hill he could see the red trucks arriving on the scene.

He turned his back on the scene behind him and walked away even though his feet had itched to walk back and watch it burn completely though the interior since it wouldn't or couldn't burn down to the ground.

He hailed a cab once he was out of view of the burning car so he wouldn't call attention to himself. He slipped into the back seat and told the driver to head to the Blue moon hotel and to wait while he got his bag. After grabbing his bag he told the driver of the cab to head for the LAX airport.

The cab pulled up to the airport thirty minutes later. The driver snootily helped him remove his bags from the trunk of the cab before demanding payment for the ride. The man begrudgingly gave the cab driver the payment for the fare. Without either man saying 'thank you' or 'you are welcome' the driver slipped back into his car and waited for another fare and the passenger slipped into the airport.

The man saw that the airport was filled with people coming and going and all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds. He made it to the ticket counter and got stuck behind a woman with three kids trying to get tickets to Florida. He got the cheapest ticket out of state that was the farthest away.

He got a seat in coach class because they were always the cheapest flights. He hated that he was shoved in a middle seat. He got stuck in between a large man who smelled like he hadn't bathed in three weeks and a woman who wouldn't quit talking on her phone before the flight attendant told her to shut it off and even then she just turned to using the phones attached the back of the seats. He just wanted to rip the phone out of her hands and smash it into the ground so it couldn't be used again.

"Would you like anything?" the flight attendant asked.

The big man said he wanted a packet of peanuts. The talkative woman snapped at her for interrupting her call.

"Water will be fine." He answered.

She came back a few minutes later with his water and the other man's peanuts. He didn't even drink the water. He didn't even touch it after he sat it on the fold out table. He only touched it again when they were told to put their seats in the upright position and to put the tables up.

"_Hello passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'll be landing in Seattle Washington in a moment."_ The captain spoke.

He had tired going the bathroom earlier in the flight but the talkative woman wouldn't let him. She had been too busy chatting with whoever was on the other end of the line. She only shut up after the flight attendant told her that she had to put the phone up. The woman was not happy about being told to get off the phone. He had to listen to the woman piss and moan about it all the way through the landing and the debarking of the plane.

He caught another cab and told the driver to take him to the nearest hotel. It was small and looked rather dirty and cost a hundred dollars a night but it was better than the shack he and his father lived in when he died. He put his bags down on the grimy floor he didn't feel like carrying them any longer and he would only be here a day and not much longer unless he had to hide out from the feds.

The man also knew that he would have to leave for a short while to gather supplies so he could make more bombs. He wouldn't need as many in Seattle as he did in California. He was thankful for that and after he was done in Seattle he had one other state to go to before he went back to California to finish up.

He locked up his room tight after he stepped out of it. He gave a wave to an older couple that seemed to have come back from a day out on the town. He walked passed them and to the elevator, which was small and already had three girls in it. The girls were smiling at him and from what he guessed trying to flirt with which wasn't working. They were all too young for him by the looks of it didn't look a day older than fifteen. He gave a sigh of relief when the doors opened on the first floor.

He slipped out of the lobby doors and into a cab long before the girls even got outside. The cab was like the hotel dirty and smelly and not something he would ever want to experience again. He knew he would have to get a car by any means if he wanted to keep his plan completely quiet. He would have to take one later because he had too and renting one would leave an unneeded paper trail (the plane was a needed one).

He need for a car was answered when he was walked back from a seedy looking pawn shop that let him buy things he needed without the call for his ID to be checked. It was a muted red beat up Chevy truck from the early nineteen fifties, that most people would deem trash or junk.

**CHRIS/MATHEWS**

Chris Mathews was in his hospital bed asleep. He had been asleep since before he was rushed into surgery the day before. The doctors had told the FBI that he would make it even though it would be a little rough on him for the next couple of weeks.

The man he assumed to be his father was now in jail charged with assault and assault on a police officer for the punch he threw at one of the arresting officers. Another man who claimed to be his father waited in the waiting room to see him whenever he could.

It was only two hours later that Chris slowly blinked his eyes open and groaned as a wave of pain washed over him. He tried shifting himself where he sat up but couldn't do it because the pain was too much and his arms were too weak to hold himself up.

His heart started racing causing the machines he was hooked up to had started to go haywire. A short dark haired nurse had come rushing in. She exclaimed when she saw that he was awake and immediately when to work checking on him and making sure he was completely okay.

"How you feeling Chris?" she asked after checking all the machines.

"Fine." He groaned out.

"How's your pain on a scale one to ten?" she asked taking is pulse. "With one being the best and ten being the worst."

"Six." Chris had replied.

"I'll get you some pain medication to take care of that but I'll have to check in with the doctor first." The nurse replied.

Chris gave a nodded before the nurse left. She had turned the television on for him while she was gone. The television was turned to MTV. A station he really didn't care for because of all the trash TV they aired. He wasn't like others his age. He wanted to be in the army and serve his country. He also watched the news at night not silent library which MTV was airing at the moment. Yes some of the stuff on the show was funny but it just wasn't him.

The nurse had come back after being gone ten minutes. She was followed by a man Chris could only assume to be a doctor. He looked older.

"Hello Mr. Mathews Jane here tells me you are feeling a little bit of pain." The doctor said.

"Call me Chris and yes."

"I'm Doctor Stevens."

"I don't want anything strong like morphine." Chris told the doctor. "I would prefer to take aspirin or Ibuprofen."

"I'll have Jane get you two tablets of Ibuprofen then. I don't see anything else wrong with you so when you are healed enough to go home you will be able to leave."

Nurse Jane had left to get the Ibuprofen and returned a short while later sitting the two pills down on the bedside table.

"Would I still be able to join the army?" Chris asked after taking the pills.

"If the injuries you sustained don't have any permanent effects I don't see why not but you would have to go through the military physical just to be sure." Dr. Stevens told him. "I don't see you not being able to because you were a fit young man and should get one hundred percent healthy in no time."

Chris gave a nod of understanding but he was still worried that he wouldn't be able to join.

"Come on Jane we need to get to our other patients." Dr. Stevens said leaving the room.

Nurse Jane handed Chris the remote to the television and turned it to CNN. The channel was going back between a story about the bombing that had been happening in California and the war in Iraq. He wasn't really interested in either one since they were just repeating what was said by the reporters the week before but it was still a whole lot better than the trash TV aired on MTV.

It wasn't long before Chris fell back asleep. He was really tired and craved more sleep so it wasn't a bad thing in his opinion. His sleep was a dreamless one for which he was thankful for because all of his dreams lately had been nightmares that made him want to wake up instead of pleasing dreams that he wouldn't want to be awake up from.

He woke up again an hour later and a bald black man was sitting in the chair beside his bed. He looked like he would be tall and was pretty banged up. Chris's heart started to race because he didn't know the man and had no idea why he was sitting in his room.

"Who are you?" Chris asked.

"Derek Morgan." The man replied. "I am also an FBI agent."

"Why are you here?" Chris asked.

"My boss wanted me to ask you about your injuries and if you know anything about the bombings that have been going on." Derek told him.

"I told that man in the police station that I didn't know anything about the bombing." Chris replied. "An as for the injuries I have I am pretty sure you all know how I got them after looking into my background."

"You are correct about that but we need you to tell us yourself." Derek replied.

"They came from my father he beat me because my older brother died in the war and I wanted to join. As far as I know my brother wasn't his biological son he just had a strong connection with him."

"My team and I don't think the man that gave you those injuries is your father." Derek told him.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Because when our computer tech looked back into your history the man listed as you father doesn't have the same name you gave us. Now it could be a mistake or something like that but we still sent off your DNA and his to be tested to make sure for your and his sakes." Derek explained.

"Did that man know my mom?" Chris asked.

"Yes they dated a while sometime after your brother was born. You were born roughly nine months after they broke up. Which is why we had to have the DNA test done to be sure if you were his son or not." Derek said.

"Is he here?" Chris asked.

"He was yesterday I am not sure if he is still here or not. I could have the nurses' check to see if he is." Derek said.

"Could you please ask them," Chris asked Derek.

**DEREK**

Derek had left Chris's hospital room and headed for the nurses' station. It wasn't far from his room because he was under watch because of the breathing he had received.

"Excuse me could you tell me if the man claiming to be Chris Mathew's father is still here or not." Derek said.

"I'm sorry sir I just got on shift so I don't know who you are referring to." The nurse replied.

Derek didn't know what to do now.

"Excuse me sir you were asking for me?" Michael Carter asked.

"Yes Mr. Carter I was. Chris would like to see you because you knew his mother." Derek told him.

"May I see him now?" Michael asked.

"You can if follow me but only if you leave when he ask you to leave." Derek said.

"Sure I would do anything." Michael said.

Derek then led the man back to Chris's room after he (Michael) had spoken to a woman rather quickly before following behind Derek. It only took two minutes to get to the hospital room. Derek stopped and knocked on the door to Chris's room.

"Come in." Chris called out to them.

"Hey…. Um… that man you wanted to talk to is with me." Derek said peaking his head in the door.

"Bring him in." Chris replied cheerfully. Which was surprising for him considering the situation he was in.

Derek and Michael stepped through the door way and into the room.

"Chris this is Michael Carter. He is the man we believe to be your father. Your biological father anyway."

"How did you and my mother get together?" Chris asked.

"I was at a park with my nephew and she was there with your brother Jacob. We got to talking and went out on a date two weeks later." Michael replied.

"Why did you guys break up?" Chris asked.

"I had gotten to drinking so much that she didn't feel comfortable with me anymore so she packed up your brother and left. I never saw her again. But I cleaned myself up met someone knew a year after we got married she died four years ago. I met my new fiancée two years ago." Michael said.

"Where is she?" Chris asked.

"With my five year old son and her six year old son in the waiting room." He replied. "It's late and they are tired and they get cranky when they can't get to sleep. She would have liked to meet you but that would have to wait until the boys are in school."

"But school is in session so…"

"Their school had bad plumbing problems and there for flooded and let's just say it was not a pretty sight. So until they can find another site to hold school or clean up the old one school will be out of session for the moment." Michael replied.

"That sounds gross." Chris said laughing.

"It was. I would like to stay and talk more but I have to get home and get the boys too bed but I will come back tomorrow if you would like me too." Michael told him.

"Sure but only if you have the time. I don't want to take anytime from your family." Chris said.

"You would be taking me away from my family; after all you could be a part of it." Michael told Chris.

"See ya." Chris said as Michael left the room. "I'm guessing you have to leave too?" He added looking at Derek.

"Yep, the nurses are bound to hunt me down and drag me back to my room." Derek replied.

Derek left the room happy that he got Michal and Chris had actually gotten along. They are potentially father and son and if they hated each other it wouldn't have turned out right and he was thankful it had turned out right.

And it turned out that Derek was right about the nurses. They had been waiting for him when he got back to his room. Their scolding reminded him of his mama when he was younger and before his dad had died. He didn't even want to think what his mother would say if she had found out that he hadn't been listing to the doctor's orders.

The nursed helped him back on to his bed because his bones were too stiff for him to do it by himself. They made sure he was in bed before they went and closed the door leaving him with the warning that he would get the worst food in the place the next morning if he didn't stay in bed.

He grinned at them and said he would listen, when it was likely that he might not listen to them. He turned his television on to CNN to at least have some background noise while he tried his hardest to get some sleep. But him sleeping in the hospital with medicated help would be like Reid leaving the extra sugar out of his coffee (not going to happen…. EVER). He was creepd out by hospitals and always would be even if he never showed his for lack of a better word fear of the hospital.

Derek was surprised to be shaken awake by a small red haired nursed the next morning so he could take the medication they had for him. She also told him that he had to eat before anyone could come and take him back to his hotel room before he went home. She also said that he couldn't work until a doctor said that he was good to go back to work even if he just stayed at the hotel.

Derek told her she didn't have to go through all the explanations and that he got the point no **working** just **relaxing**. Relaxing was hard for him to do which is why he had four properties so he could tear down the walls after a particularly hard day or case.

There was a knock at the door.

It was Hotch.

"I thought J.J. was going to pick me up?" Derek said.

"She was but Will called." Hotch told him. "Henry got sick and started crying for mommy."

"That just makes her want to go home and snag him up in her arms." Derek said.

"The same thing happens to me when Jessica calls about Jack even though he's older." Hotch said.

"Yeah but he just lost his mom. He'll be like that until he hits his rebellious years at least that's what my mama said about me growing up."

"That does not surprise me one single bit." Hotch replied.

**DON**

"Dad I know you are glad to have Charlie and Amita back in America but I can't come to the party you are throwing them." Don said.

"Don your brother had been home a month and we haven't even celebrated them being home yet." His father countered.

Don's phone rang interrupting the argument. It was Aaron Hotchner from the BAU calling to tell him that the bomb struck again in the form of a burning car.

"Dad I'm sorry but I have to go. That was the head of the other team. I have a burned out car to go see."

"Don't bring your work home." His father called after him.

While leaving Don ran into his brother.

"Hey man where you going?" he asked.

"I am going to see a burned out car." Don replied.

"Can I come with you? Amita is teaching until eight o'clock so I have nothing…"

"Come on Charlie I am sure you have some statistics that you can spout off to help us solve the crime." Don said walking to his SUV Charlie trailing not far behind him.

"What happen to the bombing case if you are going to a burned up car?" Charlie asked.

"It is simple. They are connected but how they are connected I do not know." Don replied.

The burned up car was still smoking a bit when Don and Charlie arrived on the scene. David and Colby were already there. David was talking to the fire chief. Colby was talking to a fire fighter. Don and Charlie walked up to David and the fire chief.

"What do we have?" was Don's first question.

"It's a simple burned out car. No bodies thankfully. The only way we can thank of that its connected to the bombings is the metal plates we found in the trunk. Those pieces are all charred but from what I can tell they look just like the one that Quinn found the other day." David said.

"Do you know what cause the fire?" Charlie asked taking the words out of Don's mouth.

"We won't completely know until we do the testing but from the burn patterns and the smell I am guessing gasoline." The fire chief said.

"I figure as much I can smell the fumes all the way over here." Don commented.

"And before you ask it will be a few weeks until the results are back."

"I know that's why I don't ask about them." Don said. "And the Car?" he added.

"Will be taken to the evidence locker for a more though examination," David answered.

"Where's Colby I just saw him?" Don asked.

"He went to interview a witness." A fire fighter said walking up.

"Which way was he headed?"

"To the apartment building just across the street." The fire fighter answered along with a pointing finger.

"You stay with David." Don told Charlie before walking in the direction of the apartment building. It wasn't a long walk. He had found Colby in the vestibule of the apartment building talking to a middle aged woman with gray streaked hair. The woman became skittish when she spotted Don.

"Ma'am its okay that's my boss he won't hurt you." He heard Colby tell her.

"He's right ma'am. Here is my badge." Don said holding his badge out.

"He can tell you what I said. I told him all I know." The woman replied slipping back into the building where Colby and Don couldn't reach her.

"So what did she say?" Don asked.

"She told me she saw a man with dark hair about her age dropping the car off in that field and set it on fire but because it was so late she couldn't see his face not to motion the distance put a damper on her vision too." Colby explained to Don.

Two weeks passed by and nothing knew happened in California related to the bomber. The BAU team was sent back to Virginia with the warning that they would be called back if the guy started up again. Don and his team turned their attention to a string of bank robberies where the suspects used bean bag guns to subdue the bang manager and the tellers.

Working the new case got his mind of the bombings but the fear was still there. The fear that another man would lose his life because of a bomb going off would always be there even if the solve the case even if another bombing case never came along it would always be there because of the lives lost.

Another thing that kept his mind off the old case was plan his upcoming wedding with Robin even though he hated most of the task they had done so far. The only one he was looking forward to was the cake tasting because he got to eat but even with the cake tasting he would rather just sit home and watch football or baseball depending on what season it was.

"Don Come on we have to pick out the tables and chairs we want." Robin said pulling him out of his funk.

Don got up and out of his chair and followed Robin out the apartment door. He paused only to make sure he had his phone and to lock the door. Robin climbed in the driver's side of the car and he climbed into the passenger's side because there was no way he was going to sit in the back and make Robin feel like a chuffer.

Don did find chairs that he liked but Robin said no that they were too plain and they didn't have enough money in the budget to pay for slip covers for a hundred and fifty chairs. After his tenth pick getting vetoed he quit trying to please her and let her pick out the chairs they would get for the wedding reception. While in the shop where all the tables and chairs examples were set up it had started to rain really hard.

He tried to get Robin to let him drive but she wouldn't stating that she drove in the rain before she got engaged to him and will continue to do so after she marries him as well. The drive back home was going rather well until Robin swerved to keep herself from hitting a truck that had slid into their lane. She had remained in control of the vehicle for a spit second longer and then lost control. The car ended up going off the road and flipping over and over before ending on the roof.

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	20. Chapter20: End of The Ocean

**Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.**

**-David Searls**

Don Epps stood at the back of the church where his family and friends watched the front. He would have been here today no mater way only today wasn't a happy day. Today he would be burying his fiancé who had died as a result of her injuries sustained from an accident two months ago when he had walked away with nothing but a broken arm, a few scratches and burses.

When he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up he didn't have to turn around to see that it was his brother on another break from England.

"Don come on you need to say good bye." Charlie said.

"She's not in that casket and I said my good byes to her at the hospital." Don replied before slipping out the side door.

He knew that Charlie had called after him but he didn't turn back he couldn't stay there with all the pity looks he had been on the receiving of.

Don had gotten in his car and drove. He continued to drive before he finally stopped at his office he had the day off not to mention all the vacation time that he had saved up.

He sat in his office for hours before his second in command David knocked on the door. He didn't even look at the man when he entered the office.

"Robin's lawyer told me to give this to you." David said placing a envelope on Don's desk. "Don if you… If you ever need to talk I'm here." He added before leaving.

Don didn't try to look back and the man leaving his office. Finally a few minutes later he got the nerved to turn his chair around and look at his desk devoid of any photographs of Robin and him together; the envelope lying on the cold hard top of the desk. She slipped the letter inside of it out. The later was written in Robin's handwriting.

_Don,_

_If you are reading this [which I know you are because I am dead and this wasn't to see your eyes unless I died in that hospital. I had a feeling ever since I woke up the day after the accident that I wouldn't be leaving the hospital._

_I also know right now that you are likely feeling down and lonely because I am not by your side at night like I promised I would be when I took that ring from you before your brother left for England. Or like I promised when you gave me the ring after I lost it while making dinner with your father._

_There are things that I want for you Don know that I am gone. I want you to find a woman that make you feel alive not just loved because I know you need both because of what you see in your job. I want you to have kids biological, adopted or both so that you can see the joy in life that has nothing to do with bringing a missing child although that's a good joy to see too. Last but not least I want you to see the world outside your office outside of California if not the continental United States._

_The last thing I have to say to you before I end this letter Don is that I love you and I will always love you._

_Love and always yours_

_Robin_

_p.s. I mean it about those kids._

_**this chapter wrote it's self. the story goes off on a tangent in the next few chapaters but it will get back on the right track soon.**_

_**Maye**_

_**PLease leave a REVIEW**_


	21. Chapter21:Time is what prevents

**Time is what prevents everything from happening at once. ~John Archibald Wheeler**

Derek Morgan sat at his desk filling out paper work that had been put off long enough. They had just gotten back from a kidnapping case in St. Louis after being sent home from California and the bombings that had been happing there. Every time he thought of the bombing s there something in the back of his mind twitched like he knew something about the unsub that no one else did even thought he knew nothing.

He put is initial on the last page before exclaiming "Finally I'm done."

"Done with what?" Reid asked walking in with his cup of sugar and dollop of coffee.

"Paperwork; the St. Louis case put us through the ringer." Morgan told him.

"I know I was there." Reid said. "I still can't believe that it was the math teacher."

"He hid his sickness well." Morgan replied back.

"Not to mention he had the help of a paranoid schizophrenic librarian who was utterly in love with him." Reid said.

"She thought she was in love with him. The woman wasn't on her medication so she was unlikely to realize what love really was." Morgan countered.

"True but she was in a psychotic break." Prentiss said joining in on the conversation.

"Nice to see you bright and early in the morning," Morgan said.

"I couldn't sleep." Prentiss said.

"Why?" Reid asked.

"Just the couple that lives next door to me," She replied. "Watching some stupid movie over and over the whole night."

"Just be glad you don't have Reid as a neighbor. He would keep you up all night with all the foreign films he watches."

"Actually not so much anymore." Reid said.

"What do you mean?"

"With Jane and Olivia there is Barbie, Scooby doo and romantic comedies and film adaptations of Jane Austen's novels." Reid said. "What? I want them to be happy and watching those movies makes them happy."

"Man it is so weird." Morgan said.

"What?" Reid and Prentiss ask.

"Reid is family man; never thought I would see the day." Morgan said laughing.

"Why do you have to point that out every single time I mentioned Jane or Olivia? Reid asked.

"Because it is fun and there is only one other topic that would make you blush as red as a newborn baby just as much and well we don't talk about that at work." Morgan said.

"I do not want to know what you three are talking about." J.J. said when she walked up.

"Trust me you really don't." Reid said tossing his paper coffee cup in to the trash bin under his desk. "But the gist of it is Morgan likes to make fun me about my privet life." Reid added.

"Moran are you in high school again? Leave the poor kid alone." J.J. told Morgan as she was passing through.

"I am not a kid." Reid protested.

"Reid only a kid would blush so much at an adult topic." Morgan said. "Like the one I mentioned a few moments ago." Morgan added.

"I'm leaving." Reid said getting up from his chair.

"Only if you are leaving for the jet." J.J. and Hotch both said.

"Why?"

"We caught a case out in Los Angeles there is a woman was rape repeatedly while her husband was forced to watch. Her husband was later killed. The attack happened during a black out." J.J. explained. "The lead detective Matt Spicer says that that the events match that of two murders that happened downtown Los Angeles. He has no leads and no idea where to take the case so he called us in."

"Meet at the plane in thirty." Hotch said.

"Well dam I wanted to go home to night." Prentiss said. "Sergio is going to be mad at me."

"Don't worry I'll take care of him." Garcia said. "He likes it at my house."

"Only because you give him treats more often than I do." Prentiss replied.

"It's what I do with Henry why should I it be any different for Sergio because he's a cat?" Garcia countered.

"He gained three pounds the last time he stayed with you."

"He did don't gain three pounds while you were in St. Louis."

"Okay the big one before that with the bombings in Los Angeles." Prentiss said.

"He still didn't gain three pounds."Garcia said.

"Whatever are you going with us or not?" Morgan asked.

"No luckily for me I get to stay in my little bubble." Garcia said before she added. "I only have to look at pictures while you have to see the real thing."

"Come on lets go." Hotch said.

~!~

The man had been in New York for a month and half now and he still hadn't found his latest target. 9/11 had caused many business owners to tighten their security measures to make sure something like that ever happens again.

Now his plan wasn't to recreate that his plan was to get revenge on those who hurt his father and took his life away from him. He missed his dad though he had been dead for years now.

The list his father had left him would be finished in a few short months once he found all the people named on it. Those ten names were his targets, five males, and five females. The females had been taken care of already nobody would find their bodies since they were killed with a long range riffle and buried in the national forest somewhere no one would find them each one a hundred miles apart.

Two men had died in the bombs he set off out in California. He set more bombs off than needed to hide the actual attacks from the investigators. It was one way he covered his tracks. He also never gave his real name to anyone. The only person that knew his real name was dead or at least thought to be dead by everyone else on earth.

He looked up from the paper he was reading to see a man dressed in distressed cap, jeans, coat and shoes walked pass.

He threw money down and went after the man.


	22. Chapter22: Fair & Unwilling

"**It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself." ** **Anna** **Eleanor Roosevelt**

The team had arrived in Los Angeles. They were greeted by the lead detective before arriving at the station. Reid and Rossi go to visit the woman from the last attack after learning the attacks seem random. She doesn't to appear to be in good shape after trying to kill herself twice. Reid tries to comfort her by saying "It wasn't about you," but the woman still wasn't able to give them any clues to who killed her.

Within the next few days a young mother is killed and her young son is left alive. Hotch declares that the killer likes to hunt in the dark and its part of her signature. A message in blood –most likely the young mothers- is written on the wall the bad spelling makes Rossi think he's under educated.

The task of interviewing the only surviving witness –the victim's son- is left to Derek Morgan and Spicer. They once again don't get anything from the witness.

The team goes back to the police headquarters where they give the profile. J.J. al

so tells the group that the press has named the man the Prince of Darkness. A few hours after they give the profile Garcia calls the team with the grim news that similar murders have happened in every state stretching back almost three decades. She also tells the team that Los Angeles is the only city visited twice by the killer.

Not long after another murder is discovered and a baby is left behind. They team also finds that the area the murders are committed in is worked by detective Spicer. A quick search of the records reveals that Spicer's parents were some of the killer's first victims and that the unsub may very well know him not to mention he was the first child left alive and the man could be after his daughter.

Sometime later the team arrives at Spicer's home. The team enters with their guns drawn and ready to shoot if they had to. The bed his daughter had been sleeping in was empty and so was the couch were sister was sleeping.

"He has Ellie." Spicer said. "He has my daughter."

"He had to of taken them to another location." Derek said. "Probably to your old place in Santa Monica."

Unfortunately for Derek and Spicer the blackout has slowed traffic down and their cell phones had no service so they had no way to contact the rest of the team when they arrive at Spicer's old home.

They two men enter the house to find the current home owners dead. Spicer's sister and daughter were tied to the bed. Derek hit from behind by the killer and falls to the floor. Spicer bursts into the room and to his horror finds the killer holding a gun to his daughter.

Spicer is only able to say "I love you," before the killer shoots him.

Spicer screams as the killer drags Spicer's daughter from the room while saying that there is something special about the girl; which creepd Derek and Spicer's sister out bad.

"We will find you, you sick son of a bitch!" Derek yells out before passing out.

I couldn't believe how good my luck was. The man I had been following for the past few minutes was so stupid. I had to pay my bill at that café before I could follow him. I broke into a run to catch up with him but I also had to stay hidden. But even with my partially blocked view I could see that he was dressed in a fancy suit and equally fancy tie, probably bought them with the money he stole from my father.

What confused me the most was that the man had walked down a trash lined alley way. He stopped mid way down the alley and opened a steel door and walked right in. It just left me wondering why he didn't use the front doors. _Must be stealing someone else's money_.

I walked further down the alley way and hid myself from his view by sitting next to a dumpster that I really didn't want to know what people were throwing into it. I fingered the gun I had in my pocket. I didn't want to end the man this way but I knew I had to. I didn't have a bomb to plant this time and I didn't know if I would ever find him this alone again.

I finally made up my mind and pulled the gun out. I also pulled out the detachable silencer I bought just in case. I attached the silencer to the front of the gun. I fired a test shot into a bunch of boxes to see if it worked. It did because I only heard a soft whistling sound as the bullet left the gun.

The people passing the alley way on the side walk didn't flinch at the sound so I knew I was good. I just hoped that I could shoot the man without any one on that side walk noticing him before I could hide him. I also hoped that he didn't bring anyone out with him.

I had waited for him and the cold weather only seemed to make the smell of the trash surrounding me worse. I took my time to calm myself and make sure that my aim was spot on and that I wouldn't miss when I took my shot. I took an old piece of coal and marked where the top of his head was when he walked in as an added measure that I wouldn't miss. I only needed one shot, and one shot was all I had.

An hour after I made the mark on the brick beside the door it opened. It wasn't the man. It was a woman in a maid's uniform that was cut a little too short but a uniform none the less. If I wasn't busy I would've offered her some of my time but I couldn't.

The door opened a second time. It was the man. I raised my gun and fired it. The man fell to the ground in a heap.

A few short hours later Derek and Spicer's sister Kristin woke up with their hands and feet boud. The Prince of Darkness was nowhere to be seen. Kristen had begun to scream "We have to get her back," over and over. While Derek pleads with her to calm down and tell him anything she can about the killer. The only thing Kristin can recall is that the man had arrived in a dumpy old RV.

The rest of the team finally arrives on the scene they find Derek, Kristin and the late Matt Spicer in the room where the Prince had left them. Derek out right refused to go to the hospital claiming that there was too much to get done and the team needs all the help they can get. He calls Garcia after the Paramedic lets him go to look at all the RV plates that have the partial plate number he gave her.

Derek turns to Hotch not far from him and says to him. "This guy is a pure psychopath," Derek anger seeping out of the words. "I want this guy." He adds.

"Why do you have to kill people?" Spicer's daughter asked.

"The question isn't why do I kill people," he says. "The question is why I don't kill everybody. I decide who dies, but mostly I decide who lives. I'm like God ... and now you are, too."

The Prince hears his description over the radio and shoots a man changing his tire nearby because he could be a witness a frightened and scared Ellie watching from inside the RV.

Garcia finally calls Derek back with the news that here were no matches to the partial plate number that Derek had given her. Garcia tries to say that she's sorry but Derek cuts her off.

J.J. is forced to talk with The Prince of Darkness or as Garcia found out Billy over the Emergency radio after getting the correct permission. She does a pretty dang good job of it too.

Billy however kills the father from one home after he opens the door. Upon seeing a photo with two boys upstairs he grabs Ellie and they leave by breaking the garage door down. The team arrives not long after only to have Derek leave after he gets a call from Billy. Derek then walks into the house Billy had taken over. The confutation ends after Billy asked if he would see his mother in heaven and raises his gun but Derek shoots him several times before he can raise it above his waist. He falls to the floor dead.

Derek immediately goes outside to find Ellie. He takes his vest off when he spots her and kneels down when he gets in front of her and hugs her tight all the while telling her it's over.

A few days later after Ellie had been taken to a foster family. The team had yet to leave because of severe weather plaguing Virginia.

Derek had just left a café after getting breakfast for the team. It was basic but it was better than anything they could make in the microwaves and each of the other members of the team had already bought a meal and this time had been Derek's turn.

He took the paper sacks in his arms outside to the SUV. He set them on the hood before he opened the door. He opened the door and step back to get the bags when he knocked in to someone.

"I'm sorry." He said turning around to face the woman he bumped into.

"It's my fault I wasn't watching where I was going." The woman said.

"Liz?" Moran asked.

"Hi. What are you doing back here in California?" Liz asked.

"Caught a case with a guy killing in the blackouts, we caught him we don't leave for home until tonight." Derek told her. "What about your team?"

"Were all good except for Don, he and his fiancée were in an accident about a month ago and she didn't make it."

"Wow I don't blame Don for taking hit hard. Well if you guys need help the teams only a call away."

"Thanks but we can handle our case load for now. After all we are FBI too." Liz says with a smirk and a wave of her hand.

Derek grabbed the food and put it in the passenger seat, hopped in to the SUV and drove off to give the food to the team. They were all in the common room of the hotel. J.J. and Prentiss were talking to Garcia about something she had bought for Henry. All three women were gushing about how cute it was. Hotch was in a corner talking to his sister-in-law Jessica about Jack. Reid was doing the same with Olivia on his laptop. Rossi was talking to someone on his phone; probably his editor.

"I got food." Derek said announcing his appearance. "Better come and get it now because I have no cash on me now to get more before we leave." He added putting the bags down on a table in the middle of the room.

It was only Reid, Prentiss and Rossi that made a move toward the food. Reid and Rossi both take each take a white carton full of food and go back to their original places. Prentiss take one for herself and one for J.J. and Derek took one for himself and Hotch over to where Hotch had been sitting.

Hotch sat his cell phone down just as Derek was setting the carton of food down.

"What did you get?" Hotch asked him.

"I got everyone but Rossi the basic scrambled eggs bacon and sausage. Rossi's had Italian sausage."

"Doubt he'll notice though. That man makes his own." Hotch said "But what has you looking down."

"Do you remember agent Don Epps from that bombing case a month ago?" Derek asked putting his fork down.

"Yes. He's a good agent."

"His fiancée was killed in a car accident about a month ago just after we left." Derek replied.

"Are you serious where did you learn this?"

"I ran into an agent from his team and she told me. I hadn't even realized it was her at first." Derek said.

"Do they know what caused the accident?"

"I don't know I didn't get into that." Derek replied. "If nobody had anything to do with it then I would say it had something to do with the massive rain storms they got."

"I forgot about those they were all over the news." Hotch said. "That's when all the blackouts started."

"I kind of figured that out myself. I still can't believe what happened." Derek said.

"Can't believe what happened?" Reid asked walking over.

"Your remember Don Epps from that bombing case?" asked Derek.

"Yeah. His brother is a genius like me." Reid said off handedly.

"Well Don recently lost his fiancée in a car crash." Derek told him.

"Do they know what caused it?" Reid asked.

"The rain most likely," Derek answers. "But other than that I don't know and that's from Hotch and I deducing the facts."

"That big rain storm about a month ago?" asked Reid.

"That's our guess."

"Could anyone have caused the crash?" Reid asked.

"It's possible."

"And we don't have the time." J.J. said "We caught a case in Hawaii. We will head there from here."

**Hello my lovely readers,**

**I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. I got distracted with writing my novel and other fanfics. I hope you like this chapter it like a few others after this one kind of wrote themselves after I first hit the keys. Now in the spirit of the season please leave a review.**

**Maye**


	23. Chapter23: Want A Golden Rule

**"If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."**

**William Morris**

"And we don't have the time." J.J. said "We caught a case in Hawaii. We will head there from here."

"What's wrong?" Derek said turning to Reid.

"Jane's going to be mad at me. I told her I would be home tonight and instead I am headed to Hawaii."

"It's okay Reid Jack is going to feel the same way toward me and I am pretty sure Henry will be the same way with J.J right." Hotch said.

"Of course but Auntie Penny will help alleviate that when she's off work." J.J. said before her phone beeped. "The plane is ready we can leave now."

"Grab your go bag and let's get going." Hotch announced.

The rest of the team grabbed their bag and headed for the SUV that would take them away to the airport where the jet sat ready to go. Reid took a couch at the back of the plane while the rest of the team sat in chairs on either side of the aisle and waited for J.J. and Garcia to inform the team about the case.

"Well the small community of Honalo has had three boy ages ten, twelve, and fourteen kidnapped in the past two weeks. They have no connection other than going to the same school." J.J. said. "You have photographs I printed off for each of you after Garcia sent them to me. The first boy is Emmet Rylie fourteen his mother and stepfather moved there six months ago after they got married his father is still in North Dakota. The third victim is Brantley Ford ten he lives with his father who is a naval officer his mother died two months ago. The last victim was Aaron Taylor who was twelve. He has lived there his whole life with his grandmother his mother died when he was three and his father was unknown."

"I know this sounds demented but where are the bodies?" Reid asked from his seat.

"There are no bodies." J.J. said.

"So the unsub must have buried or hidden them." Rossi said.

"He could have kept them." Reid said. "I know it's a stretch but we have no bodies to speak of an no blood from the scene they were kidnapped from."

"That could be too but why would a un-sub want to keep them. They are all almost teenagers so if it's a pedophile then we are looking at a preferential one." Hotch said.

"This case is already giving me the goose bumps." Garcia said through the phone. "There is nothing in the histories of the families that indicates they had anything to do with the disappearances. I am now looking into school teacher and other people like that. Garcia out."

"Go over the files and make any notes. We'll get back to each other an hour before we land." Hotch said.

Only J.J. and Prentiss moved from their seats to the couch across from Reid. Reid flipped through the photo of the boy. All the boys were about the size with blonde hair and brown eyes. One was big for his age, another was smaller for his age and the last was average for his age.

"I think I have found another connection." Reid announced.

"What do you mean?" there voiced asked.

"Look in the background of the pictures. The boys are all in their bedrooms."

"Yeah so?" Prentiss said.

"Look at the wall behind them. They all have the same drama program poster." Reid said. "If Garcia didn't find anything then the program probably didn't keep records or it wasn't wide public knowledge."

The team arrived in Honalo a few hours later. Each family barely held it together as the team asked questions. Rossi and Prentiss went to the first family. Reid and Derek went to the second family and Hotch and J.J. went to the last family after going to the police station of course.

"What do you have Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"I dug into that drama program Reid asked me to look into and the woman that started it has a history of mental illness and she lost three sons that look strikingly like your young victims and I believe they are the same ages to." Garcia said. "She has a house on Guitar Street and she owns some land about twenty miles outside of town. It's a farm by the name of sunshine there should be a sign off of highway 3."

"Thanks Garcia you probably just helped us find the un-sub." Hotch said.

The team split into teams of threes and rushed out to the farm and house mentioned by Garcia. Rossi took J.J. and Derek with him to the house; while Hotch, Prentiss and Reid went to the farm.

"Hotch, we've been through the house she's not here and hasn't been here for weeks. There's dust everywhere, rotten food in the fridge and no clothing in the closets."

"We have only checked the out building's here. We are on to the decrepit looking house next." Hotch announced.

"We'll meet you there." Derek said.

The trio from the house rushed over to the farm. They traveled up a long dirt road before finding the black SUV that Hotch had driven out there parked in a condemned looking house. They saw flashes of light from inside the house.

"Hotch were here are you in the house?" Derek asked.

"No we are walking up to the back now why?" Hotch asked.

"Someone is inside. We have seen flashes of light in the upstairs windows." Derek replied.

"We are at the back door. Count to three and go inside and look around. Be careful it could be the boys up there." Hotch said.

Derek did as told. He could hear a door from the other side of the house breaking as it was knock down. With his gun raised he moved through the house looking for all around for the un-sub and the three boys. He could also here the team calling clear else were in the house.

He walked out of the kitchen on the bottom floor after checking it. He walked into J.J. "If she's the one that took them then they are here somewhere. There's food in the kitchen." He said.

"Hotch and Rossi went up stairs and Reid and Prentiss went to check the out building's…"

A gunshot had interrupted J.J. and she and Derek raise their guns up again and rush up the stairs. He kicked open the first door; it was a bathroom. He looked into the bedroom next to the bathroom and no one was there. He looked into the one across from the bathroom and two of the boys were there.

"Get them out of here. I'm going to look for Hotch and Rossi." Derek said.

He continued down the hallway where there were two more bedrooms. Rossi and Hotch were not in the first one so Derek continued on to the last bedroom the door was open and he could see Hotch and Rossi standing inside with their guns pointed to someone blocked from his view. Derek slowly moved into the room. There was a woman with scraggly blonde hair stood at the back of the room with the last boy that hadn't been found. Derek could tell even thought the boy was dirty that it was Emmet.

"You can't take them. They are my sons." The woman screamed. "Don't you come closer." She added when Derek moved into her line of view.

"But they aren't your sons." Hotch said. "Your son's died three years ago in an accident."

"No they didn't those family's took them from me. SO I took them back." The woman cried.

"But they are not your sons. How could they when they don't have the same scars or birth marks?" Rossi said from beside Derek.

"Those people changed them." The woman said.

"They don't like the same foods as your sons did."

"They are my boys I know they are. I just knew when they signed up for that program." Hotch said moving to distract the woman while Derek got closer to her.

"They are mine I won't let them go." The woman cried clutching the little boy tighter. "I won't ever let them go."

Derek had been able to slip behind the woman and was poised to arrest her when he got the opportunity. The boy need to get away first. Hotch and Rossi both knew this.

"You are hurting your son." Rossi said. "Maybe you should let him rest."

"Why should I? You will take him from me?"

"No I won't just let him sit down and we can talk like the adults we are." Rossi said.

"Fine." The woman said letting her arms go down from around the boy.

The boy immediately ran behind Hotch and out the door. Derek grabbed the woman's arms and cuffed her. He led her out of the room, down the hallway and the stairs and out the front door. He could see the police had finally arrived.

A week later the team had arrived back in Virginia.

Hotch had gotten picked up by Jessica and Jack.

Derek had gotten picked up by Garcia who seemed kind of subdued; it worried him but he didn't want to press her about it.

Prentiss and J.J. drove themselves home Henry was sure to be asleep so she didn't want Will to bring him out in the cold.

Reid had hopped in a cab to take him home to Jane and Olivia who didn't know that he would be home. He could hear laughter when he walked up to the door. Jane was probably still up; to stubborn to actually go to bed even though she was really tired. He checked the door and it was locked. He grabbed his key and unlocked the door.

He pushed it open and could see that nobody was in the living room. He sat his bag down and walked further into the apartment. No one was in the kitchen, bathroom or Jane's room. He heard the voices coming from his and Olivia's room. He pushed the door open.

"Spencer." Jane screamed running over to hug him.

"What are you doing home?" Olivia asked walking over to peal Jane off of Reid.

"The case was easy to solve. The kind of case I would always prefer to have but know that would never happen." Reid said sitting down on the bed so Jane could sit by him. "About a day after we arrived we discovered the un-sub was a woman and had kidnapped the three boys because she lost her own a few years earlier and the boys she had taken look strikingly similar."

"That's so creepy." Jane said.

"Yes and I believe it is way past your bedtime." Reid said.

"But I'm not tired."

"That doesn't matter. You have school tomorrow and you need to get your sleep." Reid said after standing up. "Now come on I'll tuck you in."

Jane did as she was told and hopped off the bed. She followed Reid into her room. She climbed into bed and he tucked her in.

"You're not going to leave again are you?" Jane asked him.

"Not right now. I have a few days off. " Reid said. "I won't have to leave unless something really bad happens."

"I don't want you to go even if something bad happens." Jane said.

"I know but you need to go to bed now." Reid said before kissing her on the fore head and leaving the room.

"That girl loves you." Olivia said when he closed the door.

"And I still have no idea why." Reid said.

"We may never know." Olivia said. "But just like her we need to get to bed."

"I know but I am going to take a shower first." Reid said. "I took one before we left but I still feel dirty."

"Well come to bed when you are done. No staying up to read for two hours." Olivia said.


	24. Chapter24: An Ounce of Blood

_**An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship. A Spanish Proverb**_

_**Spencer Reid, Olivia and Jane **_

Spencer Reid had rolled over expecting he arm to go around the waist of Olivia but she wasn't there. In fact her side of the bed was cold. He couldn't hear the water running so she wasn't in the shower. He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He heard a giggle and realized that Olivia and Jane must be in the kitchen.

He got off the bed and changed into some clean clothes. He was glad to be home for what felt like the first time in weeks thought it had only been days. He hated being away from them but he couldn't think of any other job he would want to do more. He did like literature but not enough to teach it so that was out.

"How come you two didn't wake me up?" Spencer asked.

"Because Jane here wanted to make you breakfast in bed and well you see how that's turned out." Olivia said gesturing to the flour covered kitchen.

"I turned the mixer on and the flour went everywhere." Jane said.

"Why don't we clean this up and go out to breakfast." Spencer suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Olivia said.

"I'll clean it up you two however need to go and take a shower or bath."

Olivia and Jane disappeared down the hallway and Spencer turned his attention to the flour covered kitchen. He didn't really want to clean it but it was better than attracting bugs in to the home. It didn't take long for him to clean up the flour. He just took the vacuum and sucked it all up before dumping it in to the trash can.

Spencer went to change his cloths after getting some flour on him. After which he waited in the living room for Olivia and Jane. He could hear Jane giggling in her room.

"Now you go wait in the living room. I have to get dressed." Olivia stated.

Spencer then heard the tell tale sounds of Jane running toward the living room.

"What are you reading?" Jane asked upon reaching the living room.

"A file for work." Spencer replied.

"You're not leaving again are you?" Jane asked.

"Not right now but I'm always on call so if someone does something really bad I can help stop them from doing it again." Spencer told Jane. "But remember I'll always come back to you."

"But sometimes you come back hurt. I don't want you to hurt." Jane said.

"I don't want to hurt either but its part of the job." Spencer said. "I promise not to come home next time hurt or with a scratch."

"Spencer you might want to take back the scratch thing." Olivia said coming into the room.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you scratch yourself with paper," Olivia said.

"Do you really?" Jane asked.

"Sometimes, but only because I'm not paying attention when I turn the pages." Spencer told Jane.

"Come on let's get going."

_**Aaron Hotchner & Jack Hotchner**_

Aaron Hotchner or Hotch as he's known to his team was spending the first day in a long time with his son Jack and sister in law Jessica. They were going to the Leesburg Animal Park. They would also be staying the night in Leesburg. It was supposed to make up for missing his birthday.

"Daddy, can we leave now?" Jack asked running into the Garage where Hotch was putting the bags into the trunk.

"We have to wait for Aunt Jessica to get here and then we can go." Hotch told his son.

"And I just got here so you just have to lock up the house and we can go." Bella said.

"If you get Jack in the car I'll lock up."

"Sure." Jessica replied.

Hotch went into the house to make sure it was locked up nice and tight being in the business he was in you learned early on not to take things like home safety lightly.

"Come on Jack climb in." Jessica said opening the car door. "And do not forget to put your seat belt on."

"I know Aunt Jessica." Jack said climbing into the back seat. "Can I have my coloring book now?"

"Of course you can," She said handing him the book and his box of crayons.

Jessica then walked around the car and got into the passenger seat just as Hotch slipped out of the door that led from the garage to the house.

"Is everything good?" Jessica asked.

"All the windows and doors are locked tight and the security system is on." Hotch said. "And since the other teams are home this weekend also I shouldn't be called unless it is something major like—"

"You don't have to tell me I get it." Jessica said. "It has been close to a year and it hasn't gotten any easier."

"I don't think it ever will. We may move on but we will never get over that." Hotch said. "It wouldn't be good if we did."

"Can we leave now?" Jack asked. "We have been sitting here for hours."

"We are leaving Jack and we haven't been sitting here for hours." Hotch said to his son.

"I'm a kid give me a break." Jack said before he cracked up laughing.

Hotch couldn't help but smile at his son laughing in the back seat. He started the car and pulled out of the garage and on to the street. The drive was slow and Jack had gone to sleep halfway through the drive. Jessica smile at the boy sleeping on an open coloring book crayons spilled onto the seat and floor around him.

"We are here." Hotch said pulling into a parking space.

"Do you want to get Jack?" Jessica asked.

"I'll get him." Hotch replied getting out of the car.

He walked to the back of the car and opened Jack's door.

"Come on Jack it's time to see the animals." Hotch said.

"Where are we?" Jack asked his dad sleepily.

_**J.J., Will and Henry LaMontagne**_

J.J. and Will had been asleep until their son Henry had run into their room and jumped on their bed and continued to do so until his mom and dad opened their eyes to look at him.

"Henry." J.J. said pushing the bed covers off.

"Hi Mommy." Henry said stopping his jumping.

"I thought you were going to sleep in." J.J. said.

"I want pancakes." Henry answered.

"Okay but you have to let mommy get dressed." Will finally spoke. "You should get dressed to."

"Yes you should and if you do I'll make pancakes." J.J. told Henry.

After listening to his mom say that Henry jumped off the bed and headed for his room. Will stood up from the bed and stretched.

"I better make sure he's wearing clothes that match."

"Let him wear what he wants to. We'll just have him change if we decide to leave to go somewhere." J.J. said. "Just make sure that he has his underwear on the inside of his pants."

"Yeah I wouldn't want to see what would happen if he had an accident."

"We would have to replace his clothes." J.J. said with a shudder.

"That would put a dent in the bank account." Will said.

"Go check on Henry. I'll be in the kitchen when you are done." J.J. told him.

J.J. slipped into a well worn pair of jeans and a t-shirt and walked barefoot into the kitchen. She grabbed a bowl and the mix for pancakes so they would be ready for Henry when he came in. She made six in total, two for her, one for Henry and three for Will.

She had just sat Henry's plate on the table when he came barreling into the room with Will trailing on behind him. Will pulled Henry up and put him into his buster seat so he could eat with his mom and dad.

"So do you want to do anything this weekend?" Will asked.

"Penelope was telling me that she and Derek were helping out with this program that helps kids that had a hard life from anyone who had cancer to the ones that suffered abuse. They don't mention what when on in their lives at all during the event because it's like carnival and it's supposed to cheer them up and help them be a kid again." J.J. explained. "She could take Henry to that and we could go out on our own if you want to that is."

"That sounds like a great idea when is it?" Will asked.

"Penelope told me that it was Saturday but I'll check with her in a few minutes to make sure."

"I'll go pack Henry a bag." Will said placing his plate in the sink.

"Pack extras incase he has an accident." J.J. called after him.

J.J. called Penelope and asked her about the carnival. It was indeed on Saturday and she would be happy to take Henry so she and Will could have a night out alone.

**AN/: Sorry** for updating late. I got distracted by writing again. I hope you like this chapter the end is coming soon don't know when but it is.


	25. Chapter25: Those who Bring Sunshine

_**"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." - James M. Barrie**_

_**Emily Prentiss**_

Emily Prentiss was glad to be home for the first time in a long time. She had noting planed but if all she did was sit around and vegetate she would be happy. Sergio was sitting on the couch next to her watching some crime show rerun. Emily couldn't help but point out the discrepancies in it after the show went off she grabbed the book Reid had given her a while back. The book wasn't exactly her taste but it was better than most of the books she has read in recent months.

Emily put her book aside when she heard her phone ring. She really hoped she wasn't getting called in for a case.

"Emily." She stated.

"Emily; its Mick," the caller said.

"To what pleasure do I owe this call?" Emily asked.

"I was in town wondering if you wanted to get together sometime."

"That might not be a good idea."

"Come on just have a few drinks with me. What's the worst that could happen?" Mick said.

"You know what could happen if we had a few drinks." Emily replied. "But since I have nothing to do this weekend I guess we can meet up for a drink."

"Yes think you I'll m—"

"Mick it is just one drink." Emily said cutting him off.

"But you still said yes." Mick said. "So we'll O'Malley's at eight?"

"I'll see you there." Emily said.

Emily quickly hung up after Mick said his goodbye. She couldn't believe that she said yes. She couldn't even imagine what Penelope or J.J. would say if they knew. She threw those thoughts out of her head and went to get ready. She took a quick shower and put on a nice pair of jeans and a blouse to go with it. She didn't take long because she wanted to relax a little before she left otherwise her nerves would get the better of her.

At twenty to eight Emily left her apartment and headed for O'Malley's. It was an Irish Bar that Mick had told her about when they first met. It was the closest thing to home. He had told her.

Upon reaching the bar she hesitated for a split second before going in. She found Mick sitting in a booth at the back of the bar. It was quieter than the rest of the place so for that she was thankful.

"You came after all." Mick said. "I honestly thought you would ditch my arse."

"I can't say I didn't think about it." Emily replied. "But Garcia and J.J. would both have my head if they found out."

"They can't be that bad." Mick said.

"We hunt serial killers. It gives them idea's it can be that bad." Emily stated.

"I ordered us dark lager" Mick said.

"That's fine as long as I don't get sick from it." Emily said. "And I can chose the next round."

"I can promise you that you won't get sick from it." Mick replied.

_**Rossi at a book signing**_

David Rossi was sitting at a table filled with his latest book. He had been signing copies of it for two hours now and his time at the book store would be ending soon and he could honestly say that he wouldn't be sad to leave.

"What you said about the Mansfield* slasher was riveting. I still can't believe he got away with it so long." His latest fan said.

"Your name?" he asked.

"Erin." The girl replied.

"Thanks for coming Erin and I am glad you enjoyed my book." Rossi replied.

"Oh I enjoyed all of your books. I also hope to work for the FBI some day to." Erin replied before leaving so someone else could get their book signed.

Rossi spent another hour signing books before he left the store. After he left the store he met up with is first wife.

"Hello Carolyn," he said sitting down outside the cafe.

"David." She greeted. "It's good to see you again."

"The same goes to you." Rossi replied.

"So how have things been for you this past year?"

"Good and bad. I released a new book." Rossi said.

"I've noticed and it is defiantly on its way to become a best seller." Carolyn said.

"I wouldn't say that."

"I would and would also say that you should try your hand at fiction to. You see enough of it every day you could put together a pretty good thriller if not a mystery novel."

"I've tried a few times already and they have all turned out to be non-fiction books instead of fiction."

"You just can't tell a single lie can you?" Carolyn asked.

"Without facing danger no I don't think I could." Rossi told her.

"Well any way if you did want to write a pure fiction book try writing a short story first." Carolyn stated. "A professor friend of mine says that always seems to help her students."

"I will have to think about that." Rossi replied.

"You should because that would be a book or short story I would like to read after all I don't have much to do now that I am retired."

"Retired, when did that happen?" Rossi asked her.

"Oh roughly six months ago; I just didn't like the work I was doing anymore so I retired." Carolyn said. "I have to say I've been having a great time since I decide to quit working."

"I'm glad that you have found something good in your life." Rossi said. "Are you ready to go visit him?"

"If we don't do it now we'll just keep putting it off." Carolyn said. "And I need to see him. I miss him."

"I do to." David replied squeezing her hand. "Should we take my car?"

"We'll have to. I took a cab here because my car is in the shop." Carolyn replied.

Rossi stood up and helped Carolyn to his car. They both didn't want to do it but it had been put off too long.


	26. Chapter26: Pain is Weakness

The update chapter has been replaced. This is the second new chapter so please go read the one before this so you do not lose out on the story line at all.

Peace to you all,

Maye

"_**Pain is weakness leaving the body" - from Tom Sobal**_

_**Derek Morgan at the carnival**_

Derek Morgan was surrounded by kids. He had been wrapped into 'teaching' them self-defense by Garcia. It was part of a carnival set up for the kids that have had a hard life from suffering from cancer to being abused like he had been.

"All right hot stuff what has you all gloomy?" Garcia asked him.

"Nothing baby girl it's just hard to believe that all these kid or most if not all have had a hard life in some way. That shouldn't happen."

"I know and we trough these events so that they won't have a completely hard life." Garcia said. "These events give them a little fun in their lives even if it's just for an hour or two."

"You are right. Well here comes my next batch of kids." Derek replied. "Meet you later for coffee?"

"Yes. I'll make sure that Reid hasn't been there in the last hour so we have enough sugar."

"Penelope be nice."

"I am being nice. Could you imagine what that boy would be like if he was diabetic." Garcia said.

"No I don't think I want to." Derek said. "It would be worse that when he went through withdrawls." Derek said.

"I do not want to see the day that happens." Garcia said. "Have fun with the kiddies."

Garcia left Derek alone with the group of ten kids.

"Hello kids, my name is Derek Morgan. I am the tactical trainer here at the FBI."

"What is a tactical trainer?" one of the kids asked.

"It's self defense and if your parents are okay with it I would like to teach you some of the basics." Derek said.

The kids all lined up. Like Derek instructed them to do after their parents said they could learn.

"Okay now that you are all in position." Derek said. "I'd like to tell you that what I'm going to teach you must not be used unless you are in danger."

Derek then spent the next hour teaching the kids several of the basic moves with the help of a friend clad in a protective safety suit. After showing the kids how to perform the moves using the friend in the safety suit he had the parents help them perform the moves before they tied them on the person in the safety suit.

Derek then presided to do this every hour for the next eight hours with a steady stream of kids coming through. Garcia stopped by a few time while going through to get more supplies for whatever she was doing with her group of kids.

He packed up his gear when his last group left.

"Are you Derek Morgan?" A woman asked.

"Yes ma'am I am." Derek said. "How can I help you?"

"My son was in your first group today and he hasn't been this calm since before he was attacked." The woman said. "I just wanted to thank you for putting the life back into his eyes."

"It was no problem ma'am."

_**Penelope Garcia with the Art**_

"Miss. Garcia can you help me with my bag." A little girl asked.

"Of course and you can call me Penelope." Garcia said. "Now what is the problem?"

"It won't stay closed." The girl said. "And I've tried five times now."

Garcia tried a few times herself. "You know your problem is there is too much of the fabric blocking the clasp. All we have to do is cut it away and it will close."

Garcia cut the fabric away and then handed the bag back to the girl.

"Thank you." The girl hollered before running to her mom who was waiting nearby.

That girl was the last of her kids and the carnival event was finally over. She hadn't seen Derek since before lunch. She took her time and packed up all the material that was left over from her various craft and art sessions she had throughout the day.

"Baby girl do you need help to picking up?" Derek asked making Penelope jump in the air.

"No I don't need help buy you could take the boxes and put them in my car." Penelope said. "And there are about ten boxes in all."

"Fun." Derek said sarcastically.

"They aren't heavy and if you had better balance you would only have to make four trips."

"Yeah, Yeah I still have my strength." Derek said grabbing two boxes.

Garcia continued to pack the last box she had. After she was done packing the box she sat it with the others she asked Derek to take out to her car. She grabbed one box and decided to take it out to her car. She passed Derek going back to the tent on her way to the car. She popped the trunk to put some of the boxes there so they wouldn't all be cramped in the back seat. She waited by her car for Derek to bring the boxes because she didn't want to leave her trunk hanging open. It took Derek roughly fifteen minutes to bring all the boxes to her car and another ten to put them all in the trunk and back seat of her car.

"Hot stuff I know I said I would meet you for coffee after this whole thing but I am just to tired." Penelope said slamming her trunk closed.

"That's fine after some of the stories I heard today I just want to go and bring down some walls." Derek told her.

"That's just fine. I can go catch up on my Big Bang Theory." Penelope said.

"Ah your nerds." Derek said.

"You like the show to because you have said they need to have a character like Reid on the show." She shot back.

"Yes and they still don't and the closest one to Reid is Leonard."

"Actually Reid is a cross between Leonard and Sheldon." Penelope said. "He knows a lot of pointless facts like Sheldon does but he is about as awkward as Leonard is around girls."

"Goodnight Baby girl."


	27. Chapter27: Art is The Only Way

_**Chapter Quote**_

_**Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.**____**Twyla Tharp **_

_**Spencer Reid, Olivia and Jane**_

"Spencer can I get this game please," Jane asked.

"No. You already have three new books. Olivia will have my head if I get you anything else." Spencer replied.

"She doesn't have to know and besides it's a game for the whole family."

"Well if it's for the whole family she would know anyhow and the answer is still no." Spencer said. "Let's check out her class ends in ten minutes and we can pick her up if we get there in time."

"Fine." Jane said putting the game back on the shelf.

"Besides Christmas is in a few months so you might get it then." Reid said trying to keep Jane from moping. "And you got those two books and that's more than you were supposed to get anyway."

The duo walked up to the cash register. Jane pushed her books on to the counter and waited for the woman to ring them up. Spencer had already fished out his debit card ready to pay when the cashier was done. It only took a few seconds so two minutes later they were out the door of the store.

"Hop in." Reid said opening the car door.

Jane did as she was told and drag the plastic bag of books with her. Reid made sure she was buckled in tight before he got into the car himself. He started the car and drove toward the college Olivia had been attending. When they got there the main parking lot; was filled with cop cars and fire trucks and swat vans.

Spencer pulled into a parking spot farthest from the building.

"You stay here and keep the doors locked. Hide in the back if you half too."

"What's going on where is Olivia?" Jane asked the worry clearly etched on her face.

"I don't know that's what I am going to find out." Spencer replied.

Spencer got out of the car and making sure to take the keys and locking it. He made is what to what looked like the command post. He was stopped halfway there.

"Sorry sir but you can't go in there." The officer said.

"I'm from the FBI." Reid said.

"You look like a kid there is now way you are FBI." The officer said.

"I think this says otherwise." Reid replied holding up his badge.

"Sorry sir; you can go in make sure to check in with the lead officer." He said.

Reid didn't stay long enough to pay attention to what he said. He ran to a man with gray hair barking out orders.

"Excuse me sir I'm Spencer Reid from the FBI."

"FBI yeah right kid get back behind the tape like the rest of your classmates." The man said.

"If you don't believe me look at my badge." Reid said holding it up once again. "Now can you tell me what is going on here?"

"A hostage situation wrapped up with a bomb threat." The man said. "I didn't know you guys would get here so soon."

"Technically we aren't my girlfriend is here somewhere; her daughter and I have come to pick her up." Reid told him. "Do you know who is being held hostage because that's all I want to know."

"Not right now we don't but right her name down and your number and we can call you if we know."

"Spencer." Olivia yelled running up.

"I guess there is no need for us to call you now."

"No there won't." Reid said. "Let's get you home."

"Of course; where is Jane?" Olivia asked.

"She is in the car and likely hiding in the back if she got scared." Reid told her.

"Why?" Olivia asked.

"Because I told her to and I didn't know where you were at that point."

"Oh." Olivia said as they came up to the car.

Reid didn't even have to unlock the car because Jane had done it for him and ran straight toward Olivia. She had hugged Olivia tight and didn't let go for a good five minutes.

"I didn't know where you where." Jane said.

"I'm fine. I was never in any danger." Olivia said. "But I was worried that I wouldn't find you two in all this craziness."

An hour later the trio was sitting in a McDonalds. Jane wad chatting happily about the new books that Spencer got her. Olivia rolled her eyes and gave a look to Spencer that he just shrugged off.

"So you got two books. You were only supposed to get one." Olivia told her.

"Hey she tried talking me into a game to but she didn't get that." Reid countered.

"Oh so an eight year old talked you into getting her two books instead of the just one. Some FBI agent you are."

"Hey in my defense I don't do the negotiations whenever they come about. I'm usually stuck in the police station or where ever they have head quarters set up." Reid said. "And I'm a doctor too."

"That would be the problem." Olivia said. "You are a doctor and really don't have much physical training, I mean have you even talked to Derek about having him help you in that area I am pretty sure he could and it would be less embarrassing than asking J. J. or Emily."

"No and I do a little practice on my own every other weekend when I'm home and if there is a gym in the hotel we stay in." Reid told her.

"Oh so that's where you disappear to." Olivia said. "You know you could take hikes and walked with Jane and me, we did do that quite a few times before well you know."

"It was something I wanted to do on my own." Reid said. "But I guess I can do the hikes with you guys whenever I am home."

"Good it would give us something other than reading to do." Olivia said.

"There is nothing wrong with reading." Reid said.

"I didn't say there was but you should also get out there and exercise too." Olivia told him.

"I know that." Reid said. "But I was never really given the incentive in school to be physical in gym or otherwise. It wasn't until I got the job with the FBI to have any reason to get 'fit'."

"Well that gives you three reasons to get 'fit' now. Four if you count Henry." Olivia told him.

"I know and that's why I do the practice on my own because I don't want that pressure I know I would have on me if Morgan or the rest of the team knew."

"I would kick his butt if he put any pressure on you." Olivia said.

"That would be a sight to see. So if it does happen don't let me miss out on it." Reid said. "Uh we should probably go."

"Why?" Olivia asked.

"Jane is passed out in her fries." Reid told her.

"Oh g_d I can't believe I missed that." Olivia said. "I should have known something was up if she wasn't talking a mile a minute now that you are home."

Reid's phone rang with a page. He glanced at it.

"And I won't be for much longer." Reid said.

"What is calling you away this time psychopath or psychotic break?" Olivia asked.

"Neither of those; it's a missing girl." Reid said. "She went on a vacation without her parents and her friends haven't seen her in twenty four hours."

"Well let's get you home so you can get your go bag and bring that girl home." Olivia said. "Hopefully she wakes up so you can say goodbye."

"I'll call later if she doesn't." Reid said.

Olivia climbed into the driver's side and drove home. Reid repacked his go bag and hugged and kissed Olivia good bye.

"I'll miss you." He said before leaving for the airfield where the jet was waiting.

Olivia couldn't say anything because she knew she would cry. She closed the door behind Reid and put Jane down on the couch to finish out her nap. Olivia picked up the book Reid had left open that morning. She didn't understand a word of it but knew it to be a classic that he had been reading to Jane. Making sure to mark Reid's place she continued to read the book.

After reading three chapters she put it down. She had no clue what the plot could be about other than the revolutionary war one or the civil war because the topic seemed to fit those wars. To many of the words she didn't understand but that usually happened with classic books like the one she was reading and Jane Austen's novels.

Jane started to stir so Olivia got up from her chair and went to start dinner. It was a simple meal of Marconi and cheese with chicken nuggets. It was something simple like they always had when Reid was gone. Olivia had the meal could and on the table when Jane walked in.


	28. Chapter28: Bound Up in Love

_**Poet Haniel Long said, "So much of what is best in us is bound up in our love of family that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty."**_

Spencer Reid was tired he had been working practically two days with little to no sleep. He had no idea when he would be able to get home but knew that they had to catch the guy soon. They were close because they only had a hundred suspects now after Garcia did a little bit more digging.

"Pretty boy we got another interview to do." Morgan called.

Reid snatched up his bag and met Morgan by the door. He didn't say anything nor did he try to get Morgan to let him drive –which was odd but Morgan chose not to comment on it. Both men climbed into the Black SUV provide to them by the local FBI field office.

Reid watch the tall gray looking building's pass by as they headed out of the city and into a small German cultured neighborhood. They pulled up to a small two story brick home. An elderly couple was sitting outside on the modest porch.

"Excuse me Ma'am." Morgan said walking up to the couple.

"How may I help you sir." The woman asked.

"I'm SSA Derek Morgan and this Dr. Spencer Reid we need to talk to you about your son and some threats he made on the internet." Morgan said.

"Our son has nothing to do with those bombs going off." The woman said. "He's been in a hospital Bed for the past six months after getting shot for the comments he made. The doctor said he could die at any moment because they can't remove the bullet."

"I'm sorry ma'am we didn't know. When we checked into him there was nothing about him being shot." Morgan said.

"I don't know why it wouldn't be. The cops come here wanting to know what gang he was involved with but he wasn't in any gang. He wanted to help kids get out of that life not get into it."

"Ma'am could you tell us any reason someone would want to shoot your son?" Reid asked.

"The only people I can think of are the ones who don't like having us here because my husband is Irish and I'm German they think that because my family wasn't Jewish that we supported Hitler. My grandmother and father were killed in those camps because they voiced their opinions against it they sent my mother off to an aunt here in America where she met and married a German man and later had my sister and me."

"Think you for your time Ma'am and if either of you think of anything call us at the numbers on the cards we gave you." Morgan said.

"We will if we remember anything." The man replied helping his wife up.

Reid and Morgan watched as the couple walked inside their home before they walked back to the car. If he wasn't the one setting or making the bombs then Marcus Ackmen was connected to the case somehow and they needed to find out on their own since he was in no condition to speak with them.

Morgan pulled out his phone and dialed Garcia.

"Hey Baby girl I need you to look deeper into Marcus Ackmen he's been laid up in a hospital bed for the past six months because of an inoperable bullet."

"I know I found the prayer page online for him and I also discovered that the rambling I found on line were pieces from a novel the guy was writing a complete work of fiction the last entry was made six months ago and I haven't been able to get his medical records so I didn't know about the bullet."

"It was his mother that told us but something tells me that we should look into his shooting because it was never solved."

"I will see if I can get the file from NYPD and if I do get it I'll send it to your phone."

"Well pretty boy and I are heading back in now unless you have someone else for us to interview."

"None right now so see you in a few." Garcia said.

Morgan hung up his phone and pulled away from the home of Ackmen's parents. It wouldn't take them long to get to headquarters. Reid was silent again but Morgan didn't bother to ask him what was wrong this time because he knew he wouldn't get an answer just like the last time he had asked. Reid didn't like talking about what was going on with him when they were on a case because he was always jumpy about it but then again after the case they had when he met Olivia; Morgan didn't blame him for being scared about what could happen to Olivia and Jane while he was away from the two girls for a small amount of time.

But Morgan also felt that way when he was away from his family which is all the time because with his job he has to live in Virginia instead of Chicago but then again his sisters are probably glad that he's not there full time because he can't play the part of over protective big brother.

Realizing that they were nearing the parking lot Morgan sat up straighter and started looking for an open parking space close to the building but not in the handicap section. He found one but it was still pretty far from the building.

"Hey Penelope." Morgan greeted walking into the small office given to Garcia so she could work her magic so to speak.

"I'm doing well; I have a partial of the file. I'm waiting for the rest to be faxed over Rossi is getting coffee and Hotch is out giving a press conference to calm down the press about all the threats and attacks that have been going on." Garcia replied. "It would be so much easier if J.J. was still with us."

"It would be but Strauss made her take the job at the pentagon. The only good thing that comes from it in my point of view is that she gets more time with Will and Henry."


	29. Chapter29: Wish to Be

_**Shakespeare wrote, "Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable."**_

He was angry that the man he shot six month ago got caught and ever since then it seemed harder for him to carry out his plan. He only had a few more steps before it was finished. Right now he was making a device smaller than what he was used to but he only had household products to use. He would have to wait to get the real things he needed for the final target.

He only had three left but had come to New York with five more than three on his list but in the past six months he's gone through the list and slowly picked them off one by one. He was hoping to do the last three all at once but apparently they don't associate with each other much anymore so it would make his task much harder to complete but not impossible.

"Excuse me sir can I sit down there." A portly gray haired woman asked.

"Sorry my leg makes it impossible for me to stand." The man replied. "I would give my seat to you otherwise."

Both things he said were clearly lies but the gray haired woman seemed to believe him and moved further down the bus aisle to find another seat. He started to get antsy again but being around all these people made it hard for him to concentrate even when he was a kid he didn't like being around large crowds of people.

He felt like everyone was staring at him even if they were not looking at him. He pulled his coat tight against him. So they couldn't peak inside of it and see the bomb he had tucked inside of it. It was small compared to his other bombs but he would finish his plan and leave the country to live out the rest of his life in his father's native Germany for the rest of his days.

He perked up a little bit when the bus came to a stop. It was his stop. He stood up slowly and walked with a limp that was unneeded and climbed down off the bus. He walked down toward and older looking theater that looked like it belonged on a Broadway play set piece. He walked toward the back of the theater in a small hallway off to the side. He found the fuse box and placed his bomb on the top ledge. He lit the fuse to the bomb and ran out the side door about ten feet away and down the alley it led so he could hurry up and get away from the building without it going off while he was there.

What he didn't know was that a female actress from the play had seen him lighting the fuse and saw the bomb after he left and told everyone to get out of the building if they wanted to live because there was a bomb in the building and there was no way to stop it.

**Another peek into the Unsubs mind. Hoped you liked it.**

**Love Maye**


	30. Chapter30: Death of others

_**"Our life is made by the death of others." Leonardo da Vinci**_

Morgan and Hotch had just arrived on the scene of the bombed theater. It wasn't as bad as the other bombings but there were a few injured people because of it. Morgan could still see the smoke rising from the open windows of the theater but there were no flames that he could see from his spot on the side walk.

Morgan spotted a young blond woman screaming at an indifferent officer what she saw happen and apparently the officer wasn't putting any belief in her story.

"Hotch I'm going to see what is going on over there." Morgan said pointing to the young woman and the officer.

"I'm going to find whoever is in charge and see what they can tell me." Hotch replied.

Morgan gave him a nod and walked over to the screaming girl.

"Excuse me ma'am could you tell me what you saw?" Morgan asked.

"I was taking her statement and who are you." The officer snapped.

"SSA Derek Morgan FBI." He said turning to the officer. He had also pulled out his badge and showed it to the woman and the officer before turning back to the woman. "So can you tell me what you saw?"

"Yes I can but this officer didn't believe me so why would you?" the woman asked.

"Because I'm not him and anything any witness no matter how small can help us solve a case. Look at that Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby case in Missouri. A teenager saw a vehicle and gave the police the description and the description is what led to the recover both boys alive." Morgan told her. "So anything you can remember and tell me can help."

"There was a man in the back about fifteen minutes before the bomb or whatever went off. He did not look like he belonged there and he was messing with the fuse box back there."

"Can you tell me what he looked like?"

"He was white and somewhere between five ten and six five in height. He either had really short hair, really fine hair or no hair at all but I couldn't tell from where I was standing."

"Did he say or do anything to you?" Morgan asked.

"No I'm not even sure if he saw me or not. Can I go now I should have been home an hour ago to see my daughter." The woman said.

"Just let me get your name before you go."

"Katie Sommers." Katie told him.

"Here is my card and call me if you need anything or remember anything." Derek said holding out his card for Katie to take.

After Katie had walked away Derek went to find Hotch. He found him talking to a big bellied man that looked like the fire chief. Derek walked up behind him and waited for him to finish his conversation before he spoke with him. After they were done at the scene they headed back to headquarters to meet up with the team.

* * *

To my Readers,

I am posting now because for the rest of the day (Feb 26th 2012) I will not be on my computer and will be focusing on the novel I am trying to write. I hope you liked this chapter and can only politely ask that if you read it please leave a review.

Wild Ponies readers please help me get to 100 reviews before the end of the story.

Search for a Criminal Minds readers, I will be taking a break from CM (so I can catch up on episodes) and make the sequel as accurate as I can. After I finishing posting all pre written chapters.

De l'immortel de mortels readers I will be taking a break after I finish posting the pre written chapters to figure out where I am going to take this story.

Love Maye


	31. Chapter31: No hell, No dignity

_**Flannery O'Connor said, "If there were no Hell, we would be like the animals. No Hell, no dignity."**_

Reid, Prentiss and Rossi had watched the news coverage of the theater bombing while waiting for Garcia to get all the video she could from around the theater no matter what eh angle or how grainy the video was she wanted it. They had spotted Hotch and Morgan the moment they arrived on the scene in the background of the news video.

"I found something." They heard Garcia yell from her designated room.

All three agents rushed into her room to find out what she had found. Rossi was the one to ask what it was. She told them to shush and watch the video.

It was a grainy black and white video and from what they could tell it was the back of a building.

"What is it?" Reid asked.

"It's video from a camera that faces the back door of the theater. Derek called me a few minutes ago telling me that a woman saw a man at the back of the theater messing with something before he left out the back door." Garcia explained as a man came running out of the door pictured on the screen.

Garcia paused the video on the screen. The man's face was frozen on the screen.

"That man my friends is likely our unsub." Garcia announced proudly.

"You should send out copies to all the news outlets." Rossi said. "And the other jurisdictions too."

"Don't worry Rossi. I did that before I even called you in here; now all I have to do is shoot them an e-mail saying that they can run with the story."

Rossi gave her a nodded and went to answer a call on his cell phone. Reid took a copy of the picture that Garcia printed off for the team and went to make notes on everything he could because any detail could help them solve the case and get them home to their loved ones.

He had been looking at the photograph for ten minutes when he spotted a tattoo or mark peeking out from the bottom of his shirt sleeve. He circled what he was talking about and took it back to Garcia.

"What do you need Junior G-man." Garcia asked.

"This." He said pointing to the circled tattoo. "I want you to see if you can figure out what it might be because whatever it might be could lead us to the unsub or whoever this guy is."

"I can do that for you. I'll exhaust every avenue I can to figure it out like I always do." Garcia replied.

"Let me know what you find." Reid said. "And don't forget to let Hotch and Morgan know too."

"I'll send it to their phones if they aren't back by then." Garcia said. "Now scoot. I have got work to do."

Reid left the room and Garcia to do her work. He looked at his phone. No messages from Olivia or Jane and that had him worried but he would call later when they get back to the hotel.


	32. Chapter32: Wounds are Never Gone

_**"It has been said that time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone." **_

_**Rose Kennedy**_

Olivia was nervous she had just taken her final test for college. She had taken a lot more classes than she had told Reid about so she could finish early. She had gone for a degree in forensics and criminology so she could be like the CSI on those television shows but actually do the work and bring down the killer or criminal.

She had stopped by the FBI headquarters and picked up a packet of information on how to apply for a job and what they would want from a perspective employee. The thickness of the packet had her thinking that she should apply somewhere else but she didn't want to move from where they were now unless there was a need for it and right now there wasn't.

"Olivia what are we eating tonight I'm tired of chicken." Jane said from her seat in the back.

"We'll have Chinese tonight. I don't really feel like cooking much tonight."

"I don't want chicken." Jane said.

"I won't get you the chicken." Olivia said. "Besides I am kind of tired of chicken myself."

She had parked in front of a small Chinese place and went inside to order the food. Twenty minutes later they were given a paper bag filled with food then drove home.

When they got there the door to the apartment was kicked in. Olivia saw the splintered wood and felt the panic rise up in her.

"Jane I want you to go to Mrs. Kapolei's and stay there until I come get you." Olivia told Jane.

The little girl took off down the hallway to the older woman's apartment. Olivia could hear the rapid knocks of the little girl on the door as she slowly stepped inside the apartment. She sighed a little bit in relief when she saw the living room was still in one piece as if nothing had been taken. She went slowly from room to room checking to make sure everything was okay. She then called 911 to report her –for lack of better word robbery.

A few officers arrived a few minutes later to take her statement and check the apartment for evidence. It took them about two hours to get everything checked over. Olivia then spent another hour cleaning up the finger print dust off of everything before she went to get Jane from Mrs. Kapolei's apartment. She heated up the now cold Chinese food in the microwave before eating after which she put Jane to bed.

After getting a rather stubborn Jane into Bed Olivia grabbed the book she had been reading to relax a little bit before going to bed. She did have the energy to call Spencer like she normally did every night so he would probably worry about her until she did call to let him know that she was okay. So to stem off his worry for a little longer she sent a text message that she was okay and so was Jane so but both were just too tired to pick up the phone and call him on it.


	33. Chapter33: Look Fear in the Face

_**Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."**_

Reid was just about to sleep when his phone went off with a text message it was from Olivia.

_Jane and I are ok just too tired to talk. Call u in the morning._

He was happy to get the message from her if it was real but that would be proven tomorrow when she called. He would likely wake up early waiting for the phone to ring. He hooked up his phone to the charger that was plugged into the wall. He sat it down on the night table and settled in for the night to watch and old Alfred Hitchcock film he had seen it a dozen times but it never got old. He never watched them at home because they would cause Olivia to have nightmares and her waking up screaming wasn't a good thing when Jane was in the house and could hear them.

_Knock_

"Reid it is Morgan."

"What do you want? I'm trying to get some much needed sleep." Reid called to him.

"We have another lead we have to follow up on now come on." Morgan said.

"I'll be out in a few." Reid said even though he would rather be asleep.

He had to change from his pajamas to acceptable work clothes; which for him at the moment was a button up shirt and a pair of kakis. He took his phone off the night table and grabbed his bag. He opened his door and Morgan was there leaning up against the wall waiting for him.

"Why couldn't you get Prentiss to go with you?" Reid asked upon seeing him.

"I did try but she must be asleep because didn't answer me so I think she's dead to the world when she was in a deep sleep." Morgan said.

"So you had to come beg me."

"Bingo and besides Rossi is at the station helping Garcia with that video." Morgan said.

"I would have thought that Kevin would help her." Reid said.

"No he's not with the FBI anymore. He got a different job after that one case in Hawaii a few months ago."

"And they broke up?" Reid said.

"I think so but Garcia hasn't given me any definitive proof." Morgan said. "And I am not one to dig into her life when she doesn't want me there."

"Most girls don't want boys to be pushy about their lives no matter if they are a boy friend or brother or cousin." Reid said. "At least that's what Olivia tells me when situations like that arise."

"Oh so because you live with two girls now you know about them."

"No I don't claim that I know about them I just said what Olivia told me." Reid countered. "I will never understand girls and will never claim to. I would be an idiot to do so."

"The irony. A genius calling himself and idiot." Morgan said.

Both men tensed up as the climbed on to the elevator. Neither one of them like elevators ever since they got trapped in one.


	34. Chapter34: Knowledge is limited

_**Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."**_

The unsub was pissed that ditzy blonde he saw at the theater had indeed spotted him and now his face was all over the news. He could always wear a disguise but those always led to the capture of a criminal when they forgot it and he didn't want that chance.

So he decided to dye his hair and shave his beard and put on a pair of glasses to hide his and eyes from view maybe even a hat but that seemed pointless when he was going to dye his hair but then again he could shave his head also and act like a cancer patient. Who would suspect a cancer patient as a serial killer or bomber? He didn't think so because most murder cases that involved people with cancer it was the person with cancer that died.

"Excuse me sir but if you don't order something soon you are going to have to leave. We have people waiting to sit down and you are taking up space they could use." A waitress in a fifties style uniform said.

"How can I order when I have no menu I asked you six times to bring me one and you have yet to do to bring me one," the man snapped.

The waitress jumped at his tone and hurried to get the menu. She put it on his table without saying a thing. He said nothing to her and grabbed the menu and continued to gaze at it like he really was going to order something other than cold bitter coffee like he had been for the past two hours but the staff had apparently still been pissed that he would only order the coffee.

He ordered the platter of German food though the restaurant would likely get it wrong and he would end up spitting it out and thrown down the money on his table and storming out. He normally did that in places like this because they weren't being true to the culture of the Germans. His father would spit on them for doing the German culture and people an injustice.

A few minutes later he had indeed spit out his food. He had thrown the money down onto the table and walked out of the restaurant without even finishing his food. He hopped a bus and road it to about five blocks from his hotel he didn't want anyone getting close to where he was staying because if they did that would mean the end of the road for him and the end of his plan which he would not be able to complete if he was caught.

He took the paper from his pocket and looked at the address he had written down earlier:

_Apartment 120 at 1239 on West fifty Third Avenue_

That was ten blocks south of his hotel. He could walk there without a single problem and it would be better so the cabbies couldn't say they dropped him off in front of the building or not.

**Readers,**

**I hope you like this chapter and can not wait to see what you think of it please leave a review even if it is just one word. (I.E. Good or bad)**

**Love,**

**Maye**


	35. Chapter35: Be Better Than Yourself

_**Faulkner once said, "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."**_

As he entered the room he looked around it was small and sparkly furnished. The curtains were thick and long enough that he could hide behind them and the occupant of the apartment wouldn't know he was there until he wanted them to know. He didn't hide though. He had to scout the rest of the apartment and after doing so he knew that there wouldn't be any where for him to hide except for behind the curtains.

Slowly and quietly he tucked himself in behind the curtains and the couch –so his feet wouldn't be seen had they poke out from underneath the curtain. He held his breath as he heard the jingle of keys from the hallway. His next victim was home and would only be alive for a few minutes longer. He pulled the gun from his belt slowly so he wouldn't draw attention to himself.

The front door opened to reveal a woman with graying hair in a dirty apron and diner uniform. She stepped inside and closed her only means of escape unless she could turn into spider man. A slicking smile spread a crossed his hidden face. The woman came closer to him and tossed her purse on the couch along with her keys before she moved into the only bathroom in the place. He heard the water turn on and took that as his moment to make his move. He pushed the curtain aside and walked toward the bathroom door.

_Stupid girl._ He thought when he saw the faint white line that had meant the door had been left open part of the way. He pushed it open a little further. He could see her silhouette through the frosted glass of her shower door. She was washing her hair. He raised his gun and pointed it straight at her. He flicked the safety off and put his finger on to the trigger waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger.

Because her view was blocked he walked in and closed the door. Hearing the click of the door the woman turned around and he rushed forward and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

"You will die no matter what." He told her. "So there is no point in screaming."

He pulled his hand back and the woman stayed quiet.

"Why are you here?" she asked the man.

"I'm here to kill you." The man replied. "You went against your heritage and dishonored our ancestors. You should have been a true German woman."

"But I'm not German." The woman countered.

"YOU ARE. I've researched you. I know you are German." The man shouted. "And now you must die."

The man pulled the trigger and the woman fell to the floor of her shower, slumping forward against the glass. The man ran out of the room knowing that he had to get out of there before the police arrived but stopped to place the note on the entryway table.


	36. Chapter36: Do Wrong to None

_**William Shakespeare wrote, "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."**_

Spencer Read stood in the living room of Maria O'Dell. There was nothing wrong with the living room but the crime scene techs were ordered to go over everything. They were scanning for body fluids and dusting for finger prints. Reid however was reading a note placed in a plastic bag. It was a short note but it was in German so he had to translate it into English.

"I got it." Reid said out loud.

"What did you get?" Morgan asked walking into the room.

"The note I translated it." Reid replied. "German is one of the harder ones for me to translate."

"So what does it say."

"Read the English." Reid said handing over a small piece of paper with the English translation on it.

"She was German and she turned her back against our world and our culture. She had to die this disrespect can't go on any longer." Morgan read from the paper. "So the unsub is German we already knew that."

"Yes we did but this note says that the victim was killed because of her disrespect to her German heritage but she wasn't German, she was Italian she was born and raised in Italy and only moved to America when she married her American husband three years ago." Reid told Morgan.

"Did you call Garcia?" Morgan asked.

"Of course I did." Reid told him. "I wouldn't be the genius I am if I didn't."

"You would still be a genius if hadn't called her you just wouldn't know anything about the victim." Morgan told him.

"True." Reid said. "I'm going to take this for finger prints. The sooner we get noticed the sooner we can catch the un-sub."

"You just want to get home to Olivia and Jane."

"Like you wouldn't if you had someone like them waiting at home for you." Reid replied back.

"Don't worry man I get it. Just wait until they are done finger printing that way you can take everything all at once instead of making several trips." Morgan said. "Save on gas to."

"Garcia trying to get you to go green?" Reid asked.

"You could say that."

"Morgan, Reid can you guys finish up here. There's been another attack called in." Prentiss said. "Hotch and I are going to check it out and Rossi is talking to some of Maria O'Dell's neighbors but most of them didn't see a thing during the night."

"Tell Hotch we'll have Garcia send him everything we can find and get." Morgan called after her retreating form.

Prentiss turned back for a few seconds and gave the two men a nod saying she understood. They waved back at her and went back to their work. Morgan took over supervision over everything but the finger prints which Reid kept track of.

About two (maybe a little more) hours later the two men walked out of the apartment for the last time with two boxes of evidence each with six more boxes in the SUV they were driving around while they were in town. After leaving the apartment they went straight toward the station to log it all in and sent whatever needed to be sent off on its way. After they finished the evidence there was paper work and more paper work.

They did not have to investigate another attack because the one Hotch and Prentiss got called away on was a fake. It had turned out to be a bunch of teenagers that hat gotten high and thought it would be funny to prank call a bunch of cops. It was not funny and they now were being charged with possession and making a false report they were all likely to end up on probation.

"That's the last of them." Rossi said slamming down his copy of the folder on to a desk. "Dang hooligans," He added.

"Rossi, you do not know how old you made yourself sound right there." Morgan commented laughing.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you just give it a few years and you will say things like that." Rossi told him.

"I'm thirty seven and you are what fifty one I don't see that happing anytime soon." Moran replied.

"Fifty two but that doesn't mean my age affects anything I do." Rossi said to Derek.

"We have a witness." Reid said coming up to them.

"What do you mean?" Both Morgan and Rossi ask him.

"A woman that lives on the floor below Maria the latest victim recognizes the sketch of the man we sent out to all the news outlets as a man that walked up to Maria's floor and she says that when –her word not mine- catch him that she would be willing to look at a photo lineup only because she can't leave her apartment."

"And you found that all out from talking to her?" Morgan asked.

"Yes. She thought I sounded like her grandson that died three years ago in a car accident." Reid told them.

"Okay." Morgan replied turning his attention back on to the files in front of him hoping they had some kind of connection to the Un-sub so more woman and men like Maria didn't have to die for nothing.

His attention was taken away when Hotch said that there had been another attack and that these victims were alive and knew who the un-sub was. They all rushed out after him hoping that the cases end was near and they could all go home and get much needed sleep. The all pulled on bullet proof vest. Morgan looked over to see Agent Cadet Seaver looking off into space.

"Seaver if you want to go you have to put on a vest so put it on now or go back inside." Derek told her.

"Sorry." Agent Sever replied.

She took a vest and placed it on her body and followed Morgan out to the black SUV.


	37. Chapter37: Dreams for Realities

_**Voltaire had once said "The man visited by ecstasies and visions, who takes dreams for realities, is an enthusiast. The man who supports his madness with murder is a fanatic."**_

The scene on which they arrived was a quintessential disaster area. It was a farm –or what used to be a farm— in upstate New York. The farm now looked like a wild fire had ripped through all the crops and even the personal residence on the farm. There were several teams of crime scene techs looking over the whole area. The BAU team was near the house where most of the damage seemed to originate.

"They have found several pieces of plastic that looked like they could be from a timing device." Hotch said. "I would like you to look at them after they are tested for chemicals and finger prints; to see if you can figure out what it was used for."

Morgan gave a nod of understanding.

"I think we are done here for now. Let's get back to the station. So we can get the updated profile out." Hotch said.

The team left the farm only after the police officer in change was informed of where the evidence was to be sent. Then hours later they sent out a press release of the profile and waited for the calls to come in on the hot line.

_**Serial Killer Believed to be in the area.**_

_Late last evening the Federal Bureau of Investigation released the profile of a suspected serial killer along with a artist sketch of what he might look like._

_The suspect it question is suspected of starting several fires in the area and in California but the FBI have not ruled out incidents in other states. The fires in question have cause several deaths and injurys. The FBI consider the suspect armed and dangerous._

_The suspect is believed to be an older white male with Germanic heritage. He is suspected to be between thirty nine and sixty nine years old and in great physical shape for his age. They also believe the suspect to be injured or limited in some way because of the way the firers are started._

_Remember be safe and don't go after the suspect alone because he is considered armed and dangerous until further noticed._

_Written by M.G. Grey_

Morgan put the article down on his desk. It had been a week since the article had appeared in the paper. They had gotten numerous tips but none of them had turned up anymore leads, just people hoping to get their name into the morning newspaper or the evening broadcast of the television news.

The only thing Derek Morgan could do was hope that they would get a lead so they could take down the unknown subject and get back home. The phone rang and Morgan answered it.

"Derek Morgan speaking how may I help you?" Morgan asked sounding like a hotel clerk.

"I need to speak to an agent." A timid voice said.

"You are speaking to one." Derek replied "What do you need to tell me?"

"The picture of the man in the paper, I recognize him. He comes into the diner where I work every day and leaves after only taking a few bites." The woman said. "And he would always leave mumbling about how people didn't have any respect these days and he was going to make them respect something or someone."

"Ma'am are you okay?" Morgan asked. "Can you tell me your name.

"Erica Myers and He's here now and he's taken us hostage. I'm hiding in the supply closet with my cell phone."

"What's the address?" Morgan asked. "I need to know so I can get you and the others out of there."

The woman quickly gave the address before she hung up the phone.

"Hotch." Morgan yelled at the abrupt end of the call.

"What?" Hotch asked.

"A woman just called claiming to be held hostage by a man that looks like the sketch of the un-sub." Morgan explained already heading to the address given to him by the woman.

The rest of the team quickly followed. Morgan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Garcia's number at Quantico.

"What can I do for you the oracle of all knowing is open." Garcia greeted him.

"Baby girl I need you to look in to the cell phone records of Erica Myers."

"Is she connected to the un-sub?"Garcia asked him.

"No she's being held hostage by him." Morgan replied.

"Oh dear, I will look through as fast as I can and let you know if any calls are going through."

"That's my girl." Morgan said. "I'll let you know if we take him down."

"You better and good bye for now," Garcia said before hanging up.

The team were already in the SUV's with their vest on waiting to go to the scene. The only one that wasn't going was Seaver and that was because she was given the task of monitoring the phone lines. Rossi –for lack of a better word- was in his element with the hostage situation and had begun talking about how they should go about getting the hostages out of the dinner without getting themselves or the hostages hurt or killed in the process. The rest of the team gave their input every now and then wanting to have the best possible outcome and to do so everyone's input was going to be needed.

When they got to the scene there cops were already there the lights on top of their cars flashing. One officer was talking to the man inside trying to get him to come out while another officer was directing the traffic. Hotch and Rossi had walked up to the man talking through the megaphone. Morgan walked over to the man directing traffic and told him just to use the squad cars to block off the ends of the block so no more cars could get through.


	38. Chapter38: Don't Start the Game

_**"It's not so important who starts the game, but who finishes it."**_

_**COACH John Wooden**_

The street in front of the dinner that specialized in German food was now empty except for two police cars and a FBI mobilization unit. Prentiss, Reid and Hotch were inside the mobile unit while Rossi was outside trying to get the un-sub to talk to him weather it was threw the doors of the Diner or over the phone while Derek Morgan stood outside the mobile command unit waiting. It had been eight hours now and no one had gotten any sleep since the night before and Garcia hadn't found anything that could help them. The man inside hadn't given any demands yet other than to keep back or a hostage would get it. He had been waiting for the plans of the building so he could see if there was another way into it other than the front.

He had asked Garcia to look for the building plans earlier but they weren't in a computer system and she couldn't find anything in a computer system that made note of where they were kept. So they had to do it the old fashion way going down to the property assessor's office and that was two hours ago and the lady that worked there said the plans would be delivered if and only if they found them because apparently the building the dinner was in had been around since the eighteen hundreds and the plans of which were not includes the updated system to computers. While the files still existed they were kept track of on the computer system which had been hacked a few months before.

"Excuse me I am looking for a Derek Morgan." He heard a timid voice call.

Derek turned around to see a young woman holding a long card board tube. He walked over leaving the team looking after him.

"That is me." He told the young girl.

"I was told to deliver these to you." She said handing Derek the tube which was shaking because of her nervous hand holding it.

"Thanks." He said.

"Just please be careful with them they are really old and haven't been updated in a while so they are fragile." She told him.

"I will." He said. "And I will bring them back when we are finished with them here."

"That will be just fine. Just take care of them." She replied to him.

The young woman had walked away after she asked Derek to take care of the plans and Derek just watched her walk away. She couldn't be that old not much younger than Reid. He saw her get into a yellow Taxi cab at the end of the block just beyond the police car barricade that he had instructed to be put in place to limit the traffic so no one got hurt. When the cab peeled away Derek took the tube of building plans to the mobile unit and laid them out so he could go over them. Hotch had followed him inside.

The plans were the familiar blue and white lines that Derek had been used to. While the building was old the plans were younger by decades but still fragile enough that extra care had to be taken. He placed a hard clear plastic sheet over them so whenever he marked something down it wouldn't be on the actual building plans but the plastic protecting them.

_The un-sub passed back and forth on the generic black and white tile floor. He should see the FBI and the cops outside the dinner he had taken shelter in planning how to get to him no doubt, he would always know what they were doing. The hostages he had taken were shaking from the cold that had seeped into the building hours ago along with their fear of him. It wasn't the way he wanted to things to end but he had to end it._

_He could hear one woman's faint whispers of prayers as he walked passed her his gun gripped tight in his hand just itching to shoot someone or something but he had to restrain himself to get anything done, to make the impact that he wanted to make. The woman -that was faintly praying to God wimped when she saw the light glinting of the silver barrel of his gun._

_He walked toward the plate glass window and pulled down the shade making it harder for the snipers he knew were out there waiting to get the perfect shot to take him down._

"_You go pull that shade down." He told a hostage._

_The shade in question was over a window that had noting on it while the others had posters on them that partially blocked him from view. He was taking now chance to allow them to attack him._

_He heard a phone ring off in the distance and somewhere in the building. He told one of the female hostages to find the phone and stop the stupid ringing. The woman scampered off to find the phone. She didn't come back for half an hour._

_She found the phone under a pile of files in the office located at the back of the building. She handed the phone to him when she came back. He snapped at her and she moved to sit next to the woman who was praying._

"_Get back to the booth you were in." He snapped._

_He wanted to keep them separated. He had to keep them separated because if he allowed them to talk and sit next to each other then they would be able to plan against him and he couldn't let that happen not if he wanted to full fill his plan._

_He went back to his pacing back and forth. Making sure no one was moving keeping them all in his line of sight. He was ticked off when the phone rang again. He picked it up this time._

"_What do you want?" he growled into the phone._

"_We want to know what we can do to get the hostages and you out of there without getting hurt." The man on the line said._

"_That's not going to happen because I am not coming out." he told him and hung up._

_He took the phone and threw it against the wall making it fall in to chunks of hard plastic and computer chips. It wasn't going to work anymore. He missed the young teenager that had run to the door and started banging on it trying to get out._

_He pulled his gun level with the young man and shot him._

_**While the Unsub had shot the young teenager a woman by the name of Erica was trapped in a locked supply closet. Her dying cells phone her only link to the outside world. She was cold and tired and refused to go to sleep for fear of what might happen to her if the man who had taken every one hostage found her. **_

_**She knew she at least had the cans of vegetables that she could eat if she ever got hungry but the cans of food held no interest for her. She just wanted to go home and sleep in her own warm fluffy bed.**_

_**She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the gun shot with another quickly fired after that, she didn't know if it was the man who had kept them all there or if it was the man she had called earlier Derek she thinks his name was she couldn't remember know her brain was to fogged up because of the lack of sleep. Well not so much anymore because of the gun shot but it was still foggy none the less.**_

_**The only thing that worried her was that her vision and memory were starting to go blurry. The black spots in her vision weren't what she was used to when she got tired but there was probably something wrong with her.**_

_**Erica did not stay conscious for long because the blackness of the back of her mind took over seconds later.**_

Derek Morgan had found a way into the building. That would be out of sight of the un-sub until he went to take him down. He would be followed in by Hotch and Prentiss while Rossi and Reid stayed out front. One he opened the rusty hinged back door he moved inside methodically checking all the spaces someone could hide to make sure they were okay. They didn't find any. He couldn't find the supply closet that Erica had told him she was locked in earlier.

Passing the stainless steel tables in the kitchen Derek made his way to the door way that led to the dining room. The tables closest to the door were empty. He was blocked from the un-sub's view. He leaned out of the door way to get a better view and the un-subs back was turned to him. When one of the women in the room spotted him their eyes bugged out.

He took his pointer finger from his free hand and put it to his lips telling them to keep quiet. They nodded in acknowledgement back at him. They looked down at their hands to keep their happiness of getting out of there a secret.

"Rossi this is Morgan I need you to create a distraction out there long enough for me Hotch and Prentiss to take out the un-sub."

"Give us five minutes." Rossi replied.

They hung up and Morgan backed away from the door and waited for Rossi's distraction. The distraction indeed came five minutes later. In the form of fire crackers in a metal trash can at least Morgan hoped it was fire crackers.

He, Hotch and Prentiss rushed forward as the un-sub looked out of the windows. Morgan grabbed his arm holding the gun and ripped the gun out of his hand and handed it to Hotch. Prentiss had gone to see if the teen age boy who had been shot was doing.

"We got you." Morgan bit out cuffing the un-sub. "You won't blow anyone else up aging. You will be in solitary." He added.

Morgan didn't know if that was true but he sure hoped it was. Have someone like him on the streets would not be a good idea for anyone. He took the man out the front door and put him in a police cruiser. Paramedics had rushing in to help the teenager that was shot.

"He was lucky." Prentiss said as the brought him out.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

"This." Prentiss said holding up a book. "Was the only thing that kept the bullet for killing him. It still went into his body but not far enough to kill him unless he got an infection."

"And people out there say books can't save a life." He replied. "I'm going to see if I can find that Erica woman who called me earlier."

"You should we need to take her statement." Hotch said walking up.

Morgan left them standing there. He went and looked all around the kitchen and couldn't find the storage room door. He looked in the backroom and found the door to the storage room hidden behind the open office door. He raised his gun and gripped the door handle and turned it.

Inside was a small woman with dark hair and green eyes. He put his gun in to it's the holster and rushed right to her. Something was wrong. She was pale and looked slightly blue. He put his hand to her neck it was slightly cold and didn't feel a thing; he went to her wrist and the same thing it was cold felt it there was nothing there either.

And Morgan didn't feel a thing in her neck or wrist because there was no pulse and there was no pulse because she was dead.

* * *

**Second to last chapter for this story. I will do a sequal but I am taking a break before I start writing it.**

**Maye**


	39. Chapter39:Epilogue

As an Easter gift to you my lovely readers I updated early.

**SFACM:LA—Sorry to see this story end. There will be a sequel but I want to go back and watch the episodes and plan where I want to take their next adventure.**

**WP—I am sorry to see this story end too. I have a plan for a sequel and I plan to call it either **_**Wild Hearts**_** or **_**Wild Fires.**_** I have come to the conclusion I will tell Angela's story first then Alice's story.**

**DLDM—This story is in limbo at the moment I have no idea where I want to take it. I know I want to bring one or two of the cullen's back now but I'm not sure who. Plus Charlie catches someone in his house.**

_Have a good easter and hope you liked the way I ended things or they way they are looking._

_LOVE,_

_MAYE_

_**SUSPECTED SERIAL KILLER CAUGHT:**_

_**AFTER POLICE STANDOFF**_

_**BY: B. Frost**_

_Last week, the community of little Germany was rocked by the hostage taking of eleven men and women by a 63 year old male. The Police and FBI were on the scene from the start. While there were no deaths directly from the hostage taker a body was found on the scene._

_Information about the body has not been released to the press as the investigation is still ongoing and the police do not feel the time is right to release any information linked to the case. They did how ever tell us that they believe foul play was involved. The Police are still welcoming any information witnesses may have concerning the case._

_On a lighter note another source says the hostages taken are doing well including 16 year old Adam Madison who was shot during the incident. He was taken to the hospital not long after to be treated. His parents sent a statement to the Press just hours later saying that their son was fine and would heal nicely. They would not comment further on his injury._

"At least someone had a happy ending." Annabelle Riley said putting the paper down. "And thank you for finding my father's killer."

"It was nothing and we or another team would have been pulled onto the case sooner or later." Derek replied.

"Well you still did more for me than anyone else I talked to you at least looked at the videos I showed you." Annabelle said. "That means a lot more than I can say and I guess saying thanks doesn't seem like enough."

"Giving your or families like you closer is why we do it not the accolades that come with it not matter how nice they be. Helping families get a happy ending or help them with moving on is why we do it not getting on the front page paper because more often than not we are criticized for how we do things." Derek told her. "So I guess the only thing I can say to you is your welcome."

"Thanks again and see you soon." She replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Your sister is my roommate she's bound to drag me home with her one of these times not like she hasn't already tried."

"That's because of our mama. It goes back to when we were teenagers and wanting to know who our friends were."

"I think it had more to do with Sara setting me up with someone than meeting your mom." She said. "And that is my cab and I have to go."

Derek picked up her bag for her and put it into the cab next to her. It was just a small carry on no need to put it in the trunk. He closed the door to the cab and stepped back from it and watched it drive away.

"You like her don't you?" a female voice asked.

Morgan flipped around to see Garcia standing there.

"She nice." was all Morgan said.

"Yeah and Reid thought Olivia was nice and look where that got them." Garcia replied.

"Reid hardly ever touches her let alone kisses her."

"So that just makes their kisses more meaningful and he's more concerned with taking care of her and Jane and making sure they are okay not about getting it on with Olivia."

"That sounds so wrong coming from your mouth when you are talking about Reid." Morgan told her.

"Whatever we have a dinner to get to." Garcia said. "J.J. will be mad if we are late again. Well more you than me because I didn't miss the last dinner."

"I was working." Morgan replied as he followed Garcia to her car.

"Get in hot stuff unless you want to make J.J. mad." Garcia said

"Okay is everything done? Should I get more bread?" J.J. asked herself out loud.

"J.J. everything is fine. We have enough on the table for now if we need more we can get it then now sit down and wait for the guest to arrive." Will told her while holding Henry.

_Knock._

"There's our first guest." He told her. "So calm down and everything will be fine."

J.J. put the last of the food down on the table and went to answer the door. Standing there was Spencer Reid and Olivia along with Jane. Olivia was holding a cake and Jane had her arms full of coloring books.

"Can I color with Henry?" Jane asked.

"Sure but you will have to stop when everyone gets here." J.J. said. "Because then it's time for dinner."

"Okay." Jane said.

Will sat Henry down and he walked unsteadily after Jane toward the little kid table set up in the living room. They both took a book and started to scribble into the books. Jack had joined them when he arrived with Hotch along with Jack's aunt Jessica. Rossi arrived ten minutes after them and five minutes after him Prentiss arrived with Mick. J.J. raised her eye brows at that one.

Morgan and Garcia arrived a few moments later.

"Didn't think you were going to make it." J.J. said to Morgan.

"Garcia would have hunted my body down." Morgan told her "Even if I didn't want to come."

"Well I would have helped her." J.J. told him. "No go sit."

J.J. and Olivia got the kids from the living room and hurdled them into the dining room so they could eat. Everything went well.

"Well that was good." Jack said rubbing his stomach.

"Well thank you Jack." J.J. said.

A half hour later everyone had left except Prentiss who stayed to help clean up. Mick had left because he had an early morning job interview. Will left the room to tuck a deeply sleeping Henry in to bed.

"So what is with you and Mick?" J.J. asked rounding on Prentiss.

"Noting. We were hanging out the other day and I mention the dinner and asked him if he wanted to come." Prentiss told her. "And obviously he said yes."

"Are you sure nothing is going on because it looked like something when you two arrived." J.J. told her.

"Yes I am sure. The only constant guy in my life is Sergio who is cat."

"Just remember there is only so much a cat can do." J.J. said leading Prentiss to the door. "Maybe you should see if Mick would help you with things a cat can't help you with."

"I am going to get out of here before you make me puke up that food you made." Prentiss said.

She hurried to her car and turning around just before getting in and waving goodbye to J.J. and buckling herself in. She pulled out of the drive way and headed home to feed Sergio who she knew would be waiting by the door for his food.

J.J. had slipped back into the house after Prentiss's car had diapered around the street corner. She walked to the living room and picked up the toys Henry and the other kids left out. Will had come into the room just as she finished picking the last toy up and put it away.

Will sat down on the couch and pulled J.J toward him.

"If we ever do that again I am ordering the food in." J.J. told him.

"I told you to leave the major cooking for the holidays." Will told her lovingly.

"Yeah but I didn't listen to you but I am glad that I listened to you about taking that vacation within the next year and a half,"

"The only thing I have to ask is what are we going to do and it has to be family friendly because we will have—."

"Henry with us." J.J finished for will. "Why not an amusement park or something like that near a city and then we could go sightseeing."

"What about a cruise?" Will asked.

"Why?" J.J. asked. She liked the idea she just wanted to know why he picked it.

"Because there are several different cruises out there so why not get out and enjoy the view of the ocean and it would be a tropical area so the cold wouldn't bother us either so you could go at any time of year." Will told her.

"That is true. I guess the only thing we can do right now is look at all the cruise there are and pick which one that we would like to go on." J.J. said. "And we have the time to pick so there is no use worrying about it now and it is a good idea to wait a while until Henry is older so there are things for him to do other than splash around in a pool that's not even a foot deep."

"Yes he does get quite board with foot deep pools but that's because he likes being under water." Will replied. "But I guess we have figured it out. A cruise it is."


End file.
